Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland.
Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27, Zurich, CH-8093, Switzerland.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 May;11(18):e2308336. doi: 10.1002/advs.202308336. Epub 2024 Mar 6.
Tendon injuries resulting from accidents and aging are increasing globally. However, key tendon functional parameters such as microvascularity and oxygen perfusion remain inaccessible via the currently available clinical diagnostic tools, resulting in disagreements on optimal treatment options. Here, a new noninvasive method for anatomical and functional characterization of human tendons based on multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) is reported. Healthy subjects are investigated using a hand-held scanner delivering real-time volumetric images. Tendons in the wrist, ankle, and lower leg are imaged in the near-infrared optical spectrum to utilize endogenous contrast from Type I collagen. Morphology of the flexor carpi ulnaris, carpi radialis, palmaris longus, and Achilles tendons are reconstructed in full. The functional roles of the flexor digitorium longus, hallicus longus, and the tibialis posterior tendons have been visualized by dynamic tracking during toe extension-flexion motion. Furthermore, major vessels and microvasculature near the Achilles tendon are localized, and the global increase in oxygen saturation in response to targeted exercise is confirmed by perfusion studies. MSOT is shown to be a versatile tool capable of anatomical and functional tendon assessments. Future studies including abnormal subjects can validate the method as a viable noninvasive clinical tool for tendinopathy management and healing monitoring.
由于事故和衰老导致的肌腱损伤在全球范围内不断增加。然而，目前可用的临床诊断工具无法获得关键的肌腱功能参数，如微血管密度和氧灌注，这导致了对最佳治疗方案的分歧。在这里，我们报告了一种基于多光谱光声断层扫描（MSOT）的新型无创方法，用于对人体肌腱进行解剖和功能特征描述。健康受试者使用手持式扫描仪进行实时容积成像。在近红外光光谱中对腕部、踝部和小腿部的肌腱进行成像，以利用 I 型胶原的内源性对比。完整重建了尺侧腕屈肌、桡侧腕屈肌、掌长肌和跟腱的形态。通过对脚趾伸展-弯曲运动的动态跟踪，观察到了长屈肌腱、长伸肌腱和后胫肌腱的功能作用。此外，还定位了跟腱附近的主要血管和微血管，并通过灌注研究证实了靶向运动引起的整体氧饱和度增加。MSOT 被证明是一种功能多样的工具，能够进行肌腱的解剖和功能评估。未来的包括异常受试者的研究可以验证该方法作为一种可行的无创临床工具，用于治疗肌腱病和监测愈合。
