Regional shear wave elastography of Achilles tendinopathy in symptomatic versus contralateral Achilles tendons.

• Baseline characteristics of a pilot sample of 20 subjects suffering from chronic Achilles tendinopathy showed differences in conventional sonographic measures of tendon thickness, qualitatively assessed hypoechogenicity, hyperemia, and quantitative measures of shear wave speed. • Regional shear wave speeds were lower in the free tendon but not in the proximal regions of the soleus or gastrocnemius aponeuroses in Achilles tendinopathy patients. • Using shear wave imaging to estimate tendon stiffness may prove beneficial for clinical validation studies to address important topics such as return to activity and the effectiveness of rehabilitation protocols.