Temperature Increases in the Human Achilles Tendon During Ultrasound Treatments With Commercial Ultrasound Gel and Full-Thickness and Half-Thickness Gel Pads

摘要

Context:Although originally manufactured for use in diagnostic imaging of internal structures, 2-cm-thick gel pads are also used as conducting media for therapeutic ultrasound over areas with bony prominences. Research on the ability of these pads to conduct enough energy to adequately heat tissues has provided mixed results. However, this research has mainly been performed on the triceps surae muscle, an area over which gel pads are not typically used. We wondered how much heating might be produced if a thinner pad was used over a tendon.