Comparative analysis of shear wave elastography and biaxial testing for accurate soft tissue mechanical assessment.

Abstract

This study aims to validate the efficacy of shear wave elastography for biomedical research by demonstrating its ability to accurately and non-destructively characterize tissue stiffness in-situ. While this study validated a specific device, the underlying physical principle - shear wave propagation speed for stiffness measurement - suggests these results should generalize to other shear wave elastography systems operating with similar specifications and measurement protocols. To validate the ability of the shear wave elastography function to measure absolute tissue stiffness at low strains, porcine intestinal tissue samples were embedded in saline-infused gelatin and assessed for stiffness using the ultrasound machine. Samples also underwent traditional biaxial tensile testing, allowing for a direct comparison of stiffness values between the two methods. Stiffness values at low strains produced by shear wave elastography were not statistically different from values produced by traditional biaxial testing. Shear wave elastography can accurately and non-destructively measure stiffness values of soft tissue at low strains comparable to traditional destructive testing methods. By employing these methodologies and comparative analyses, this study contributes to establishing the credibility and utility of shear wave elastography in biomedical research and quantitative clinical therapeutics, affirming its potential for in-situ tissue stiffness characterization and accurate mechanical property assessment.