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Quantitative muscle ultrasound and muscle force in healthy children: a 4-year follow-up study
Joost Jacobs1, Merel Jansen, Henny Janssen
1Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology (920), Donders Centre of Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Insights
Longitudinal data on muscle thickness (MT), echo intensity (EI), and muscle force (MF) in children are now available. Muscle force and thickness correlate with growth, while EI shows minimal change, aiding neuromuscular disorder detection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Musculoskeletal Development
- Biomedical Engineering
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Lack of longitudinal data on normal pediatric muscle development (MT, EI, MF).
- Need for reference values in healthy children for accurate clinical assessment.
- Importance of understanding age-related changes in muscle structure and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- Establish reference values for muscle thickness (MT), echo intensity (EI), and muscle force (MF) in healthy children.
- Correlate these parameters with age and growth indicators.
- Provide a basis for detecting changes in neuromuscular disorders.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study over 4 years.
- Involved 4 muscles from infancy to 16 years.
- Established reference values for MT, EI, and MF, correlating with age and growth.
Main Results:
- Muscle thickness (MT) and muscle force (MF) showed significant correlations with growth (height, weight) and aging.
- Echo intensity (EI) demonstrated a slight annual increase (1%) with height, weight, and age.
- Individual muscle development trajectories varied.
Conclusions:
- Reference values for MT and MF can be adjusted for height or weight in longitudinal assessments.
- EI requires minimal correction for short-term follow-up (a few years).
- These findings support improved detection of muscle alterations in pediatric neuromuscular conditions.
Introduction:
No longitudinal data on the normal development of muscle thickness (MT), quantitative muscle ultrasound echo intensity (EI), and muscle force (MF) in healthy children are yet available.
Methods:
Reference values of MT, EI, and MF of 4 muscles from infancy to age 16 years were established during a 4-year follow-up period and correlated with age and growth.
Results:
For most muscles, MT and MF correlated with growth and aging, with almost equal influences of weight and height. EI increased only slightly (1% per year) with height, weight, and age.
Conclusions:
To use these reference values for repeated measurements, MF and MT can be corrected for either weight or height. It does not seem necessary to correct EI for these factors during follow-up of a few years. These results provide a basis for more precise detection of changes in muscle structure or force in neuromuscular disorders.
