Frontiers in neurology · 2026 · 敘述性回顧（依標題推測）
The role of muscle ultrasound in stroke rehabilitation: a review of calf muscle alterations and clinical implications.
神經系統疾病復健 · 腦中風
中文閱讀摘要
系統性回顧顯示，肌肉超音波可客觀量化中風後小腿肌肉結構改變，其參數與臨床功能相關，有助監測治療反應，但證據有限。
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原始摘要
Background
Post-stroke morphological and structural alterations in lower-leg muscles-including changes in muscle thickness, pennation angle, fascicle length, and echo intensity-are key factors contributing to gait impairment and functional disability in stroke survivors. Conventional clinical assessments, such as the Modified Ashworth Scale and Fugl-Meyer Assessment, are limited by subjectivity and an inability to quantify intramuscular structural changes. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography, as a non-invasive, real-time, and quantitative imaging tool, has emerged as a valuable technique for evaluating post-stroke muscle alterations.
Objective
This systematic review aims to synthesize the literature published in the past 5 years on the application of musculoskeletal ultrasound-including B-mode, shear wave elastography, dynamic ultrasound, and quantitative ultrasound-in assessing morphological and functional changes of lower-leg muscles in stroke patients, and to explore its correlations with clinical outcomes and its utility in guiding rehabilitation interventions.
Methods
PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched from January 2020 to December 2025 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they were original research involving stroke patients, utilized ultrasound to assess lower-leg muscles, and reported at least one morphological or functional parameter.
Results
A total of 8 studies published between 2020 and 2025 were included. The most frequently assessed muscles were the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior. Compared with the non-paretic side or healthy controls, the paretic lower-leg muscles commonly exhibited reduced muscle thickness and cross-sectional area, altered pennation angle, shortened fascicle length, increased echo intensity (indicating fat infiltration or fibrosis), and elevated shear wave velocity or Young's modulus (indicating increased stiffness). These ultrasound parameters showed significant correlations with clinical measures of spasticity (e.g., Modified Ashworth Scale), motor function (e.g., Fugl-Meyer Assessment), and muscle strength. Ultrasound was also effectively used to monitor treatment responses, including changes following botulinum toxin injection and rehabilitation training.
Conclusion
Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is a promising imaging modality for objectively assessing structural and biomechanical alterations in lower-leg muscles after stroke. Recent evidence from the past 5 years confirms its value in providing insights into the pathophysiology of post-stroke muscle changes, correlating with functional outcomes, and guiding personalized rehabilitation. Future efforts should focus on establishing standardized imaging protocols to enhance clinical applicability and cross-study comparability.
至 Europe PMC 閱讀完整來源 ↗ · 擷取日期 2026-10-19
書目、來源與全文狀態
- DOI
- 10.3389/fneur.2026.1785196
- PMID／PMCID
- 42051766 / PMC13110942
- 作者
- Shi Y, Li C
- 首次發表日期
- 2026-04-13Europe PMC 提供，部分日期可能依年份或月份推定。
- 卷／期／頁碼或文章編號
- 17 ／ 期未提供 ／ 1785196
- 書目來源與查核日期
- Europe PMC · 2026-10-19僅核對書目欄位與來源連結；不代表已評讀研究品質。
- 全文與授權
- 來源列有免費全文（查核 2026-10-19），未逐篇測試 PDF 下載。 來源授權標示：cc by。
可回溯引用
Shi Y, Li C. The role of muscle ultrasound in stroke rehabilitation: a review of calf muscle alterations and clinical implications. Frontiers in neurology. 2026;17:1785196. PMID: 42051766. PMCID: PMC13110942. doi:10.3389/fneur.2026.1785196
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