Ultrasonography evaluation of tendon thickness in hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate tendon thickness at ultrasonography (US)imaging in long-term dialysis recipients. Methods: Twenty chronicdialysis recipients underwent US examination to evaluate tendonthickening, including that of the supraspinatus, subscapularis, biceps,triceps, quadriceps, patellar and calcaneal tendons with no partial orcomplete lesions. These patients were compared with 22asymptomatic patients and the rejection of null hypothesis was 5%(Student’s t test, p < 0.05). Results: Statistically significant thickeningwas found in the supraspinatus, subscapularis, triceps and right bicepstendons. The statistical analysis of the other tendons was notsignificant. Conclusion: Amyloid protein deposition in tendons wasnot uniform; the current study shows a predominance of thisoccurrence in tendons in the upper limbs.

Keywords

• Tendons/ultrasonography
• Renal dialysis
• Ultrasonography