ArticleKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2022
Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) detects increased vascularity of the torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Article in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of Microvascular Flow Imaging and Power Doppler Ultrasonography in an Equine Model of Induced Superficial Digital Flexor Tendonitis.Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association · 2026Article
- The role of tendon and ligament vasculature in ageing and injury.Biogerontology · 2026Review
- Superb microvascular imaging in the assessment of persistent synovitis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Osteoarthritis imaging · 2025Article
- Near-normal ultrasound morphology in quadriceps tendon after anterior cruciate ligament graft harvest.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Review
- Entrapment of the index finger radial collateral ligament in the metacarpophalangeal joint: A case report.Ultrasound (Leeds, England) · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeUltrasound with superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a novel microvascular imaging technology which may be useful to assess the vascularity of the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as a potential measure of healing potential following surgery. This study aimed to quantify the vascularity of the torn and intact ACL using ultrasound with SMI.
methods23 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 27.1 ± 12.8 years), who were diagnosed with an ACL tear with an intact contralateral ACL were enrolled (ACL injury group). Ten healthy volunteers (36.1 ± 4.9 years) who had intact ACLs in both knees were also recruited (ACL healthy controls). The vascularity of the ACL was assessed using SMI within 15 mm from the tibial insertion in both knees. The amount of the vascular signal was assessed using a semi-quantitative grading scale (vascularity grade: grade 0-3) and a quantified ratio of vascularized area with respect to total area of the region of interest (vascularity ratio).
resultsIn the ACL injury group, a significantly higher vascularity grade and ratio were observed in the torn ACL (vascularity grade 0-3: 1, 8, 7, and 7 patients, respectively; vascularity ratio: 1.3 ± 1.4%) than the contralateral intact ACL (vascularity grade 0-3: 21, 1, 1, and 0 patients, respectively; vascularity ratio: 0.1 ± 0.5%) (P < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed between both ACLs in the ACL healthy control group.
conclusionsSMI was useful to assess the increased vascularity in torn ACL, which may reflect the potential for, or state of, ACL maturation following reconstruction or repair. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.
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