Ultrasound therapy shows the greatest temperature rise in tissues that are high in protein content; which tissue is this?

• A. Cartilage
• B. Adipose
• C. Tendon
• D. Protein

Answer: (D)

Ultrasound heating depends on how much energy the tissue absorbs, and absorption increases with tissue protein content, especially collagen. The more protein-rich a tissue is, the more energy it converts to heat under the same ultrasound settings. Among the options, the tissue described as highly protein-containing aligns with the scenario of the greatest temperature rise, so it best fits the idea that protein-rich tissue heats the most. Adipose has low protein and thus lower absorption, while cartilage contains protein but isn’t as protein-dense as the highly protein-rich tissue, so it heats less under the same conditions. The takeaway: heating under ultrasound tracks how much protein-oriented material a tissue has, with higher protein content yielding greater temperature rise.