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Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
Diffusion tensor MRI to assess skeletal muscle disruption following eccentric exercise.
Naomi M Cermak1, Michael D Noseworthy, Jacqueline M Bourgeois
1Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Muscle & Nerve
|May 31, 2012
Summary
Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) can detect exercise-induced muscle damage. This noninvasive technique shows changes in skeletal muscle structure after eccentric exercise, offering an alternative to traditional biopsy methods.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomedical Imaging
- Skeletal Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Histological analysis of muscle biopsies is the traditional method for assessing exercise-induced muscle damage.
- This technique has limitations, prompting the search for noninvasive alternatives.
- Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) has shown promise in evaluating muscle abnormalities from injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of DT-MRI in detecting structural changes in skeletal muscle following eccentric exercise.
- To compare DT-MRI findings with traditional histological assessments of muscle damage.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy men underwent 300 eccentric actions using an isokinetic dynamometer.
- DT-MRI scans and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were performed before and 24 hours after exercise.
- Histological indices of muscle damage and DT-MRI parameters were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Z-band streaming, an indicator of muscle damage, significantly increased 24 hours post-exercise.
- DT-MRI parameters, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient, showed significant changes correlating with histological damage.
- A significant correlation was found between Z-band streaming and FA values.
Conclusions:
- DT-MRI is capable of detecting structural alterations in human skeletal muscle after eccentric exercise.
- This noninvasive imaging technique provides a viable alternative to muscle biopsy for assessing exercise-induced muscle damage.
