Compartment Syndrome Detection Using Vibration-Enabled Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography – Simulation and Experimental Results

Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) has become a clinically accepted tool for tissue characterization, cancer diagnosis, and therapy assessment. However, it is only commercially available on premium ultrasound scanners and high-performance transducers capable of sustaining high-voltage, long-duration acoustic push-pulses. Mechanical vibration is an alternative method for acoustic radiation force (ARF) to induce shear wave propagation inside soft tissue, thus enabling ultrasound SWE on low-cost and portable systems. One potential application is compartment syndrome (CS), with the acute cases commonly seen in traumatic injuries and chronic cases caused by exercise injuries. CS is a condition in which the increased pressure in the muscle compartment inhibits capillary blood flow and subsequently causes muscle ischemia. To avoid permanent muscle injury, CS must be diagnosed and treated rapidly. In this study, a vibration-enabled SWE prototype was implemented on a commercial scanner and evaluated using an in vivo swine CS model as a proof-of-concept for non-invasive CS detection.