A Hydrogel Boot for rapid 3D ultrasound assessment of Achilles Tendon Injury

Achilles tendon (AT) injuries constitute 8-20% of sports-related injuries in disciplines such as ball sports, track and field. Current diagnosis of AT injuries mainly relies on MRI and musculoskeletal ultrasound. In recent years, portable ultrasound devices have enabled rapid injury detection right on the sidelines of sports fields. However, ultrasound-based detection necessitates non-planar scanning and depends on proficient clinicians to identify AT injuries with repetitive scanning of the affected area. In this study, we introduce an elastic Hydrogel Boot that demonstrates exceptional acoustic impedance matching, enabling rapid 3D ultrasonography of the foot and potentially offering a point-of-care (POC) diagnostic solution for on-sports-field AT injuries.