Upper Trapezius Muscle Elasticity in Cervical Myofascial Pain Syndrome Measured Using Real-time Ultrasound Shear-Wave Elastography

Real-time ultrasound shear-wave elastography was used to measure right trapezius mean shear-wave velocity (SWVmean). Trapezius SWVmean was 0.96 m/s higher in MPS patients than in non-MPS patients. Stratified analysis of MPS patients according to pain severity revealed similar trapezius SWVmean between mild pain and non-MPS patients; however, SWVmean was higher in moderate and severe pain MPS patients than in non-MPS patients. The areas under the curve of trapezius SWVmean in MPS patients with mild, moderate, and severe pain were 0.578, 0.899, and 0.983, respectively. Trapezius SWVmean may be useful for cervical MPS screening and diagnosis of moderate and severe pain patients.