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Quantifying Normal Diaphragmatic Motion and Shape and Their Developmental Changes via Dynamic MRI
You Hao1, Jayaram K Udupa1, Yubing Tong1
1Medical Image Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
CHEST Pulmonary
|August 4, 2026
Summary
Dynamic MRI quantifies diaphragm motion and curvature in children and young adults. This study reveals age and sex variations in diaphragmatic movement, crucial for understanding respiratory function.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Respiratory Physiology
- Biomechanical Analysis
Background:
- The diaphragm is vital for breathing, but detailed in vivo motion data is scarce.
- Quantitative descriptions of diaphragmatic motion and shape are limited in current literature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively describe regional hemidiaphragmatic motion and curvature using free-breathing dynamic MRI (dMRI).
- To analyze variations in diaphragmatic motion and shape with age and sex in healthy individuals.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 177 healthy children and young adults.
- Segmentation of hemidiaphragm domes from 4D dMRI data (end-inspiration and end-expiration).
- Calculation of velocities and sagittal/coronal curvatures at 25 points on each 3D hemidiaphragm surface across 13 regions.
Main Results:
- Diaphragm velocities ranged from approximately 2 to 13 mm/s; sagittal curvatures from approximately 3 to 27 m⁻¹, and coronal curvatures from approximately 6 to 20 m⁻¹.
- No significant sex differences in velocity, but age-related patterns differed between sexes.
- Strong velocity correlations observed between homologous regions of the right and left hemidiaphragms; no significant differences in curvatures by sex or age.
Conclusions:
- Free-breathing dMRI effectively estimates regional motion and curvature of the 3D diaphragmatic surface.
- This analysis provides novel insights into regional, inter-sided, sex-based, and age-related variations in pediatric 3D hemidiaphragm motion and shape.
