Shear Wave Elastography of the Tibial Nerve and Lower Limb Nerve‐Muscle‐Tendon Complex in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Objectives To investigate the associations among diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), diabetic tendinopathy, and diabetic myopathy and their respective influencing factors using shear wave elastography (SWE). Methods This study enrolled 65 diabetic patients (22 with DPN [PN‐DM group], 43 without DPN [NPN‐DM group]) and 35 healthy controls. Their general clinical data and laboratory indicators were collected. High‐resolution ultrasound and SWE evaluated the morphology and elasticity of the tibial nerve (TN), Achilles tendon (AT), and medial head of gastrocnemius (MG). Parameters were compared among 3 groups. Results Diabetic patients exhibited larger cross‐sectional area (CSA) and transverse diameter (TD) of the TN than controls (all p  p  p  p   Conclusions TN's SWV increased significantly from the control to NPN‐DM, and further to the PN‐DM group. AT and MG's elasticity decreased significantly in diabetic patients with a positive correlation, but neither correlated with TN's elasticity. HbA1c was the solely independent risk factor common to the TN, AT, and MG elasticity.