Affiliations: [a] School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan | [b] Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taiwan | [c] Department of Athletics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan | [d] Physical Education Office, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan | [e] Center of Physical Therapy, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan | [f] Department of Radiology, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, New Taipei, Taiwan | [g] Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Tiffany Ting-Fang Shih, Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, No.7 Chung-Shan S. Rd., Taipei 100, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 2 23123456 ext: 66993; Fax: +886 2 23224552; E-mail:ttfshih@ntu.edu.tw
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Tendons show morphological and vascular adaptations to
mechanical loadings. OBJECTIVE: To measure and compare the features of regional
microcirculation within the supraspinatus tendon, and to investigate the
correlations between those features and shoulder strength in overhead athletes. METHODS: Seventeen badminton athletes were recruited. DCE-MRI was
conducted on the tendons in each athlete's dominant arm, including measures
for the volume transfer constant (Ktrans), reverse reflux rate constant
(Kep) and the extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve).
Isokinetic tests were used to measure the acceleration time and the relative
fatigue ratio of the shoulder external rotation of the arm. RESULTS: The DCE-MRI measures for the anterior, posterior, and
entirety of the tendon showed regional differences and correlations between
the Kep values for the whole supraspinatus tendon and the acceleration
time (r = -0.663, p= 0.005) and between the Vp value of the whole tendon
and the relative fatigue ratio (r = -0.605, p= 0.01). CONCLUSION: There are differences in the microcirculatory features
of the anterior and posterior portions of the supraspinatus
tendon. In addition, microcirculation at the supraspinatus
tendon and shoulder external rotation explosive strength and fatigue are
correlated.
