The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research has bestowed a grant to Lori Michener, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS, for her upcoming study, Biomarkers of Tendon Recovery for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy.

Currently it’s challenging to get meaningful images of shoulder tendons because they and the surrounding muscle are thicker than the tendons and muscles in other joints. And since ultrasound equipment isn’t typically available in their clinics, it’s harder for physical therapists to observe the recovery progress of their rotator cuff patients.

This grant will provide in-clinic ultrasound equipment to help Michner get better periodic views of an injured shoulder’s tendons, bones and muscles as the joint heals. Since every patient responds differently to physical therapy exercises, the in-clinic imaging could help physical therapists prescribe a more personalized — and ultimately more successful — set of therapeutic exercises.

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