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Ultrasound stiffness scans put tendon pain under the microscope

NCT ID NCT03456778

Diagnosis Sponsor: Emory University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
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First seen Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Summary

Researchers at Emory University are testing whether shear wave elastography, an ultrasound technique that measures tissue stiffness, can tell the difference between healthy tendons and painful ones. The study enrolls about 56 people, some with tendinopathy and some without, and scans tendons such as the Achilles, patellar, and rotator cuff. For participants with tendon pain who receive standard care, the team tracks stiffness changes and questionnaire scores over time to see how healing relates to what the scan shows.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
shear wave elastography, an ultrasound imaging technique
What this could lead to
If it works, doctors could use a quick ultrasound scan to measure tendon stiffness, track healing, and tailor treatment for tendinopathy.
What could go wrong
This small study only observes people receiving standard care, so it cannot prove the scan changes outcomes. Stiffness measurements may not match symptoms or predict recovery.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

56 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2018

Finished

May 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center who are asymptomatic or symptomatic for tendinopathy.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria for Asymptomatic Volunteers: * Patients presenting at the study location with lower extremity pain without tendon involvement Inclusion Criteria for Symptomatic Volunteers: * Patients presenting at the study location with a clinical diagnosis of tenalgia * Diagnosis of tendinopathy confirmed by ultrasound Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * History of tendinopathy or surgery and morphologic abnormalities * History of systemic, metabolic, endocrine diseases, or psoriasis * History of treatment with corticosteroids, estrogens, long term quinolone antibiotics, and cholesterol drugs

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

disease of the tendon

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Tendinopathy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States

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