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Decellularization-Based Quantification of Skeletal Muscle Fatty Infiltration
Published on: June 9, 2023
Associations between changes in abdominal and thigh muscle quantity and quality
Jennifer L Kuk1, Timothy S Church, Steven N Blair
1School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|June 27, 2008
Summary
Abdominal skeletal muscle (SM) CT scans correlate moderately with thigh SM quantity and quality at baseline. Abdominal SM quality changes reflect thigh SM quality changes, but not mass changes.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Skeletal Muscle Physiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Computed tomography (CT) is used to assess abdominal adiposity, liver fat, and thigh muscle quantity and quality.
- The utility of abdominal CT scans for evaluating thigh skeletal muscle (SM) quantity and quality is not well-established.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for non-invasive body composition analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between abdominal SM (at L4-L5 and T12-L1) and thigh SM quantity and quality.
- To determine if changes in abdominal SM reflect changes in thigh SM following an exercise intervention.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CT imaging to measure muscle quantity and quality at the midthigh, L4-L5, and T12-L1 levels.
- Analyzed data from overweight/obese postmenopausal women before and after a 6-month exercise intervention.
Main Results:
- Baseline abdominal SM quality and quantity were significantly associated with thigh SM measures (R2 up to 0.48).
- Changes in thigh SM quality correlated strongly with changes in abdominal SM quality (R2 up to 0.73).
- Changes in thigh SM mass showed only marginal association with changes in abdominal SM (R2 = 0.08).
Conclusions:
- Abdominal CT measurements offer a moderately reliable assessment of thigh SM quantity and quality at baseline.
- Abdominal SM CT scans can effectively track changes in muscle quality but not muscle mass.
- Abdominal CT may serve as a valuable tool for monitoring muscle quality changes in clinical and research settings.
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