Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Correlation and Agreement for Foot Muscle and Adipose Tissue Measurements
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 30, 2025

Non-invasive Skeletal Muscle Quantification in Small Animals Using Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: November 8, 2024
Paul K Commean1, Michael J Mueller, Ling Chen2
1From the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.
Background:
Volumetric measures of intrinsic foot muscle and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) infiltration are important in understanding foot injury and disease. We questioned whether measures of muscle and fat derived from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) would be comparable.
Methods:
This study determined the correlation and level of agreement between CT and MR measurements of foot muscle and IMAT from 32 subjects with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. Volumetric CT and DIXON 3T MR scans were obtained. Intermuscular adipose tissue and muscle volumes used to create the IMAT to muscle ratio were obtained by segmenting the forefoot muscle compartment from each modality.
Results:
Computed tomography IMAT ratios were significantly correlated (r = 0.85, P < 0.0001) with MR IMAT ratios. Computed tomography and MR IMAT ratio mean difference between CT and MR was small (0.044 unit, Bland-Altman plots).
Conclusions:
The CT and MR IMAT ratio measurements were highly correlated, indicating both modalities represent tissue quantification similarly.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy: 1.
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