Objective  To evaluate the application value of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) in the early recovery of transplant liver.

  Methods  Nineteen patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation were assigned into the study group and 12 healthy adults were recruited in the control group. In the study group, patients received bedside conventional ultrasound and ARFI examination at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 d after liver transplantation to observe the change of transplant liver elasticity, and those in the control group underwent once conventional ultrasound and ARFI examination. Two-dimensional liver ultrasound, color Doppler ultrasound and ARFI findings were statistically compared between the study and control groups.

  Results  Conventional ultrasound demonstrated that the liver graft was properly recovered within 1 week after liver transplantation. ARFI revealed that the shear ware velocity (SWV) at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 d after liver transplantation was significantly higher than that in the control group (all P < 0.05). The SWV at postoperative 1 d was significantly higher than that at postoperative 7 d (P < 0.05).

  Conclusions  ARFI can distinguish the liver stiffness between patients early after liver transplantation and healthy controls, and reflect the early variation of liver stiffness with good clinical application value.