Abstract
BACKGROUND: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is associated with structural tendon alterations and functional impairment. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a common treatment, but objective monitoring of tendon remodeling and motor recovery remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to integrate shear-wave elastography (SWE) expressed in m/s and wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) as biosensing tools for the quantitative assessment of tendon elasticity, morphology, and hip motion after ESWT in GTPS. METHODS: In a prospective cohort of adults with chronic GTPS, shear wave elastography (SWE) quantified gluteus medius tendon (GMT) elasticity and thickness, while hip abduction range of motion (ROM) was measured using a triaxial inertial measurement unit. Clinical scores on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Harris Hip Score (HHS), Low Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and Roles and Maudsley score (RM) were collected at baseline (T0) and at 6 months (T1). RESULTS: Thirty-five patients completed follow-up. Pain and function improved significantly (VAS, HHS, LEFS, RM; all p < 0.05). SWE values of the affected GMT increased, while tendon thickness decreased yet remained greater than on the contralateral side. Hip abduction ROM increased significantly from T0 to T1 (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed a negative association between abduction and pain at T1 (r = -0.424; p = 0.011) and, at baseline, between abduction and VAS (r = -0.428; p = 0.010) and RM (r = -0.346; p = 0.042), and a positive association with LEFS (r = 0.366; p = 0.031). SWE correlated negatively with VAS at T1 (r = -0.600; p < 0.05) and positively with HHS at T1 (r = 0.400; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Integrating elastography with inertial sensor-based motion analysis provides complementary, quantitative insights into tendon remodeling and functional recovery after ESWT in GTPS. These findings support combined imaging and wearable motion measures to monitor treatment response over time.