Ultrasound assessment and scoring of tendinopathy in hemophilia: Development of the Tendon Haemophilic Damage - Ultrasound (THD-US) method

Danilo Donati; Flavio Origlio; Stefano Galletti; Marco Miceli; Paolo Spinnato; Lelia Valdrè; Lydia Piscitelli; Vincenzo Ricci; Giuseppina Mariagrazia Farella; Fabio Vita; Roberto Tedeschi; Maria Grazia Benedetti

doi:10.1002/jcu.23845

Ultrasound assessment and scoring of tendinopathy in hemophilia: Development of the Tendon Haemophilic Damage - Ultrasound (THD-US) method

J Clin Ultrasound. 2024 Sep 20. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23845. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Unit, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy.
² Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
³ Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS-Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
⁴ Musculoskeletal Ultrasound School, Italian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, Bologna, Italy.
⁵ Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, RCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
⁶ Haematology Department, Inherited Bleeding Disorders Unit, IRCCS AOUBO, Bologna, Italy.
⁷ Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Unit, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy.
⁸ IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 1st Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic, Bologna, Italy.
⁹ Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

PMID: 39301703
DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23845

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and validate the tendinopathy hemophilia detection with ultrasonography (THD-US) protocol for assessing hemophilia-related tendinopathy. Twenty male patients with hemophilic arthropathy underwent ultrasound evaluations of 200 tendons. The THD-US scoring method assessed structural changes, hyperemia, and calcifications, revealing various tendon abnormalities. This protocol provides a standardized, efficient method for assessing tendinopathy in hemophilia patients, potentially improving patient management and outcomes.

Keywords: THD‐US; hemophilia; scoring system; tendinopathy; ultrasonography.