Clinical value of virtual touch tissue imaging quantification in diagnosis and treatment of congenital muscular torticollis in children

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) in children. Methods: Sixty-two CMT children treated in the clinics of our hospital were collected, and then 62 CMT children treated with manipulation massage were followed up; 23 CMT children receiving surgery in the same period served as controls. Conventional ultrasonography and VTIQ were performed at bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM), and the shear wave velocity (SWV) was measured. Results: In 62 patients and 23 controls, the average SWV of affected SCM was higher than the contralateral SCM. The difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). The SWV of SCM after treatment was lower than before treatment. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). The SWV of affected SCM in 23 controls was higher than the affected SCM in 62 patients before massage. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions: VTIQ is helpful for the diagnosis of CMT in children and can also be employed for the monitoring of therapeutic effect.