FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EUROPEAN PRESSURE ULCER ...
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EUROPEAN PRESSURE ULCER ...
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL EUROPEAN PRESSURE ULCER ...
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Thursday September 1st<br />
Proceedings of the 14th Annual European Pressure Ulcer Meeting<br />
Oporto, Portugal<br />
Using MR elastography to map changes in muscle and other tissues due to mechanical<br />
loading and disease<br />
Lynne E. Bilston 1*<br />
1* Neuroscience Research Australia, Australia, L.Bilston@NeuRA.edu.au<br />
Introduction<br />
Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is an<br />
emerging noninvasive MR imaging technique that can<br />
measure the mechanical properties of soft tissues in<br />
human subjects in vivo. MRE is well-established in<br />
clinical studies of liver tissues, and is being explored to<br />
quantify changes in many tissues ranging from brain to<br />
skeletal muscle. Studies have measured mechanical<br />
changes in muscle tissues after exercise, and the<br />
effects of disease and treatment. Most recently, the<br />
ability to map changes in tissue mechanics during<br />
compression have been conducted. The potential<br />
utility of MRE for both basic and clinical studies of<br />
pressure ulcers will be outlined.<br />
Methods<br />
The fundamental principle of MRE is that the<br />
mechanical properties of a tissue affect how<br />
mechanical vibrations travel through that tissue.<br />
Waves travel faster in stiffer tissues, and are<br />
attenuated more rapidly in more viscous (or energyabsorbing)<br />
materials. By applying an external vibration<br />
to a tissue, and tracking the vibration within the tissue<br />
with the MRI scanner (synchronized to the vibration),<br />
we can estimate both the elastic and viscous<br />
mechanical parameters for that tissue.<br />
Fig. 1. Simulated wave propagation from a vibration source<br />
on the left. Note the stiffer region with different wave<br />
propagation in the centre. (image from R. Sinkus, INSERM)<br />
47<br />
Results/Discussion<br />
From the MRI data, mathematical inversion of the<br />
wave images allows elasticity and viscosity maps for<br />
the tissue to be obtained. Elasticity increases with<br />
applied compressive load, after eccentric exercise in<br />
skeletal muscles, and in the presence of some disease<br />
conditions.<br />
Clinical relevance<br />
MR elastography may provide a useful tool for basic<br />
research into the biomechanics of pressure ulcer<br />
development, and may also be able to noninvasively<br />
map tissue changes in patients.<br />
Acknowledgements<br />
This talk was partially supported by the<br />
TRANSCRIPTAR networking grant from the Leeds<br />
Fund for International Research Collaboration (FIRC)<br />
(Sponsors: Worldwide Universities Network and the<br />
University of Leeds)<br />
Conflict of Interest<br />
None to declare<br />
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