Brekke Anders Falk, Krag-Andersen Katrine Kindtler, Frich Lars Henrik, Lambertsen Kate Lykke, Jacobsen Peter Kraglund, Knold Frederik Sylvest, Juhl Carsten Bogh, Holsgaard-Larsen Anders
Department of Physiotherapy, Centre for Health and Rehabilitation, University College Absalon, Parkvej 190, 4700 Naestved, Denmark; Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsloews Vej 4, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2025 Aug;128:106616. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2025.106616. Epub 2025 Jul 17.
Subacromial pain syndrome is the leading cause of shoulder pain, commonly affecting the supraspinatus and infraspinatus rotator cuff muscles. Speckle-tracking ultrasonography offers a direct, non-invasive method to assess muscle function by measuring percentage deformation (strain) during contraction, but its application in patients with subacromial pain syndrome is unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate whether differences in muscle strain in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles were associated with increasing external isometric muscle force in patients with subacromial pain syndrome.
This cross-sectional study assessed 24 patients with subacromial pain syndrome using speckle-tracking ultrasonography during submaximal isometric contractions (20 % to 80 % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction) of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles. Muscle strain was analyzed with the commercial EchoPAC™ software. Associations between strain and external isometric force were evaluated using repeated measures ANOVA and multiple linear regression analyses (adjustment for pain, sex, and age).
Muscle strain generally increased with external loads (p < 0.001), except between 60 % and 80 % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction for supraspinatus (p = 0.12). Strain explained a large proportion of the variance in muscle force for both supraspinatus (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and infraspinatus (r = 0.69, p < 0.001).
Strain assessed via speckle-tracking ultrasonography explained a large proportion of the variation in supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscle force among patients with subacromial pain syndrome. However, from a clinical perspective, its diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing between healthy and pathological skeletal muscle conditions remains to be established.
肩峰下疼痛综合征是肩部疼痛的主要原因，通常影响冈上肌和冈下肌旋转袖带肌肉。斑点追踪超声检查提供了一种直接、非侵入性的方法，通过测量收缩期间的百分比变形（应变）来评估肌肉功能，但其在肩峰下疼痛综合征患者中的应用尚不清楚。本研究的目的是调查肩峰下疼痛综合征患者冈上肌和冈下肌的肌肉应变差异是否与等长肌肉外力增加有关。
本横断面研究在冈上肌和冈下肌进行次最大等长收缩（最大自主等长收缩的20%至80%）期间，使用斑点追踪超声检查评估了24例肩峰下疼痛综合征患者。使用商业EchoPAC™软件分析肌肉应变。使用重复测量方差分析和多元线性回归分析（对疼痛、性别和年龄进行调整）评估应变与外部等长力之间的关联。
肌肉应变一般随外部负荷增加（p < 0.001），冈上肌在最大自主等长收缩的60%至80%之间除外（p = 0.12）。应变解释了冈上肌（r = 0.55，p < 0.001）和冈下肌（r = 0.69，p < 0.001）肌肉力量变化的很大一部分。
通过斑点追踪超声检查评估的应变解释了肩峰下疼痛综合征患者冈上肌和冈下肌肌肉力量变化的很大一部分。然而，从临床角度来看，其在区分健康和病理性骨骼肌状况方面的诊断准确性仍有待确定。
