Elastography Imaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Global Elastography Imaging Market Trends and Insights

Rising incidence of chronic diseases & breast cancer

Escalating metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease prevalence drives routine liver stiffness measurement adoption, where two-dimensional shear-wave elastography achieves 94% accuracy at a 14.4 kPa cutoff ^{[1]Armandi, A. et al., “Liver Stiffness Cutoff of 14.4 kPa Detects Advanced Fibrosis with 94% Accuracy,” BMC Gastroenterology, bmcgastroenterology.biomedcentral.com}. Combining ultrasound-guided attenuation parameters with shear-wave data stratifies MASLD patients by life-threatening event risk. Breast elastography now supports dense-breast screening, distinguishing malignant microcalcifications with 88% sensitivity and 86.7% specificity at a 62 kPa threshold. Growing oncology adoption bolsters equipment utilization in radiology suites. The dual-organ demand profile solidifies elastography as a preferred non-invasive alternative to biopsy.

Shift toward minimally invasive surgeries

Shear-wave elastography predicts rotator-cuff tendon quality before repair, enabling surgeons to tailor operative strategy more accurately. Robotic systems incorporate 3-D ARFI imaging to guide prostate procedures with agreement levels comparable to multiparametric MRI. AI-enhanced elastography automatically pinpoints biopsy targets, lowering sampling errors and procedure times. Strategic acquisitions, such as Hologic’s USD 350 million Sonata buy-out, highlight the commercial appeal of ultrasound-guided, fibroid-specific minimally invasive platforms. The technology’s intraoperative role is widening from liver to musculoskeletal and gynecological interventions.

Adoption of elastography for NASH-related fibrosis staging

FDA approval of Resmetirom accelerated vibration-controlled transient elastography uptake for therapy monitoring. Studies combining the ELF test with elastography deliver an AUROC of 0.829 for advanced fibrosis detection, outperforming biochemical markers. Two-dimensional shear-wave imaging attains 100% sensitivity for significant fibrosis at a 7 kPa threshold, providing cost-effective alternatives to MR elastography. Samsung’s S-Shearwave Imaging shows 0.94 diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis in biopsy-controlled trials. The ability to measure liver stiffness and steatosis simultaneously underpins comprehensive NASH management pathways.

AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound elastography

Siemens Healthineers’ Auto Point functionality cuts liver exam time by 75% without compromising accuracy. Philips Auto ElastQ reaches 99% measurement reproducibility and shortens study duration by 60%. AI-guided novice echocardiography improves correct view acquisition rates to 88% versus 76% with conventional techniques. GE HealthCare and NVIDIA collaborate on autonomous ultrasound, signaling a pipeline for fully automated elastography data acquisition. AI deepens standardization, expanding eligibility beyond specialized imaging centers.

Unfavorable reimbursement frameworks

Medicare restricts CPT 76981/76982 coverage to advanced hepatic fibrosis in defined chronic liver diseases, limiting broader screening uses. Aetna deems elastography investigational outside liver applications, stalling cardiology and musculoskeletal reimbursement. Prior-authorization hurdles lengthen administrative cycles and discourage routine ordering. The absence of standardized payment for cardiac elastography delays guideline endorsements. Evidence-based coverage expansions are expected only after large-scale outcome studies demonstrate cost savings.

High capital cost of MRI-based systems

Full-body MR elastography platforms require USD 1.5–3 million outlays, burdening smaller centers ^{[2]RSNA, “Economic Analysis of MR Elastography,” radiology.rsna.org} . Yet two-dimensional shear-wave systems match diagnostic performance for significant fibrosis at a fraction of that cost. Operational complexity demands specialized technologists and dedicated scanner time slots. Limited availability extends patient wait times in hepatology clinics. Emerging handheld ultrasound devices under USD 4,000, like Butterfly iQ3, intensify cost pressure on premium MR options.

Segment Analysis

By Modality: Ultrasound Dominance Drives Clinical Integration

Ultrasound elastography captured 62.75% revenue in 2024, reflecting superior workflow integration and lower cost relative to MR platforms. That share equates to USD 2.83 billion of the elastography imaging market size in 2024. MR elastography advances at a 7.35% CAGR, underpinned by gold-standard accuracy for fibrosis staging, but uptake is limited to tertiary centers due to high acquisition costs. Continuous R&D delivers conformable ultrasound electronics for non-planar monitoring, while AI automation enhances repeatability across operator skill levels. 

MR elastography’s precision sustains demand in complex hepatology practices, yet capital barriers spur hybrid purchasing strategies where ultrasound handles routine follow-up and MR is reserved for equivocal cases. Equipment vendors integrate AI reconstruction to shorten MR scan times and reduce per-exam cost. The balancing act between clinical gold-standard status and economic realities shapes long-term modality mix.

By Technology Type: Shear-Wave Precision Meets Strain Accessibility

Shear-wave techniques represented 45.71% of 2024 sales, underlining their quantitative advantage and lower operator bias. Strain elastography’s 7.81% CAGR owes to software upgrades that convert existing scanners at minimal cost—a value proposition compelling in community hospitals. The elastography imaging market share leadership of shear-wave is reinforced by guideline endorsements for liver fibrosis and thyroid nodule assessment. 

Transient elastography holds a niche in NASH monitoring, whereas ARFI benefits interventional radiology by providing real-time stiffness cues during needle placement. Hybrid solutions that fuse shear-wave with ARFI emerge to satisfy oncology procedural guidance. Diagnostic performance gains from machine-learning-based stiffness estimation continue to blur boundaries among technology types.

By Imaging Technique: 2-D Efficiency Versus 3-D Innovation

Two-dimensional elastography commanded 65.84% revenue in 2024, favored for high-throughput examinations. Three-dimensional and four-dimensional formats are projected at 7.21% CAGR as volumetric analysis proves valuable for complex lesions and cardiac mechanics. Portable devices such as Butterfly iQ3 introduce 3-D fan-sweep modes, accelerating democratization of advanced imaging. 

Real-time 4-D elastography enhances myocardial strain assessment, aiding early heart-failure detection. Flexible polymer ultrasound arrays now enable 3-D elastography on curved anatomy like knees and neonatal heads, opening new research avenues. The interplay of computational cost and diagnostic yield drives site-specific adoption decisions.

By Portability: Cart Systems Stability Amid Handheld Disruption

Cart systems consolidated 71.36% revenue in 2024. Multi-transducer support and higher computing power keep them indispensable for multi-specialty hospitals. Yet handheld devices expand at 8.11% CAGR, propelled by emergency medicine, critical care, and rural outreach programs. Handheld unit shipments exceed 30% of total ultrasound volumes in several Southeast Asian markets. 

Cloud-connected handhelds facilitate remote mentorship and AI post-processing, further eroding historical performance gaps versus cart consoles. Enterprise imaging networks are integrating handheld data to maintain consistent reporting formats, easing credentialing concerns. As price points fall, secondary and primary care sites become first-time elastography purchasers.

By Application: Radiology Leadership Amid Cardiology Acceleration

Radiology retained 38.63% share in 2024, equal to USD 1.73 billion of the elastography imaging market. Cardiology, at an 8.38% CAGR, accelerates on the back of AI-guided strain protocols that simplify novice scans. Heart-failure programs adopt left-ventricular stiffness metrics for risk stratification, supporting reimbursement petitions. 

Urology applications capitalize on 3-D ARFI to localize prostate lesions while reducing biopsy core counts. Vascular elastography evaluates carotid plaque stability, augmenting Doppler findings to refine intervention decisions. Obstetrics & gynecology extend use into fibroid therapy guidance post Hologic-Gynesonics transaction, marking cross-disciplinary fertilization.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-User: Hospital Dominance Amid Outpatient Expansion

Hospitals generated 68.82% of 2024 spending, reflecting their need for comprehensive imaging suites and multidisciplinary usage. Ambulatory surgical centers grow at 7.94% CAGR as reimbursement incentivizes outpatient liver and thyroid biopsy services. Diagnostic imaging centers integrate ultrasound elastography into routine abdominal studies to differentiate simple steatosis from progressive fibrosis. 

Specialty clinics such as hepatology and cardiology see rising elastography adoption to monitor chronic conditions within their own settings, reducing patient referrals and improving retention. Point-of-care programs in emergency departments address trauma and sepsis triage with quick stiffness evaluations that flag occult organ injury.

Geography Analysis

North America dominated revenue with a 41.25% share in 2024. Favorable reimbursement for liver elastography and rapid AI software clearance create a receptive regulatory environment. The United States initiated multi-center trials measuring elastography endpoints in NASH drug development, anchoring demand among hepatologists. 

Europe maintains stable adoption as national health systems emphasize cost-effectiveness; portable devices offer lower total cost of ownership for district hospitals. The region’s imaging societies publish harmonized protocols, improving cross-country comparability and vendor neutrality. 

Asia-Pacific delivers an 8.52% CAGR, fueled by expanding healthcare spending, large diabetic populations, and domestic manufacturing of affordable ultrasound chips. China’s NMPA issued updated Class III imaging guidelines in 2024, expediting domestic product registrations and spurring local competition. India’s point-of-care programs incorporate handheld elastography to screen fatty-liver disease in primary care. 

The Middle East and Africa witness incremental adoption through private hospital groups investing in premium diagnostic services. South America shows steady growth as public health campaigns emphasize non-invasive cirrhosis detection, particularly in Brazil and Argentina.