Comparative Analysis of Shear Wave Elastography and Biaxial Testing for Accurate Soft Tissue Mechanical Assessment

This study evaluated the accuracy of shear wave elastography (SWE) for quantitative soft tissue stiffness measurement by comparing it against conventional biaxial mechanical testing. Ex vivo porcine intestinal tissues were embedded in gelatin and tested using both SWE (GE Logiq Fortis Ultrasound) and biaxial loading via the CellScale BioTester 5000. Statistical analysis of 160 SWE and 46 biaxial measurements showed no significant differences in mean stiffness across orientations (p > 0.05), confirming SWE’s accuracy at low strains (0.1–1%). The study demonstrated that SWE can non-destructively and reliably quantify soft tissue stiffness comparable to biaxial testing, providing an in-situ alternative for biomedical and diagnostic applications.