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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Obtaining Quality Extended Field-of-View Ultrasound Images of Skeletal Muscle to Measure Muscle Fascicle Length
Published on: December 14, 2020
Analysis of muscle architecture variables and their relationship with functional capacity in patients with
Eduardo Cimadevilla Fernández-Pola1,2,3, Álvaro Navas-Mosqueda1,2, María Del Mar Gutiérrez-Maturana Gázquez1
1Physiotherapy and Health Research Group (FYSA), Departamento of Physiotherapy, HM Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain.
Background:
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by fatigue, functional alterations, and changes in body composition.
Objective:
The main objective was to analyse muscle architecture variables using ultrasound in patients with FM.
Design:
A cross-sectional observational study conducted in accordance with the STROBE guideline.
Methods:
80 patients with FM (54.06 ± 9.66 years) were assessed. Sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, functional capacity (5-sit-to-stand-test (STST), Handgrip (HGS), Time Up Go (TUG) and 4- metres-walk-test (4MWT) and muscle architecture variables (cross-sectional-area of vastus lateralis (VL-CSA) and cross-sectional-area of rectus femoralis (RF-CSA), thickness of vastus lateralis and pennation angle of vastus lateralis (AP-VL)) were collected. Normality and variance homogeneity were assessed, and Pearson or Spearman correlations were applied as appropriate. Multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate the association between VL-CSA and clinical, functional, and anthropometric variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results:
Participants reported high pain intensity (VAS: 7.03 ± 1.94). Mean VL-CSA was 11.73 ± 3.76 cm2. Ultrasound-derived muscle parameters showed significant positive associations with lean mass and anthropometric variables, with a stronger association between VL-CSA and trochanteric circumference than with body mass index (BMI). The regression model explained 46.6% of VL-CSA variance (p < 0.001), with BMI, trochanteric circumference, 5-STST, performance and handgrip strength emerged as independent predictors (p < 0.05), while gait speed was not significant.
Conclusions:
Correlations were found between anthropometric variables and muscle architecture. VL-CSA was significantly and independently related to BMI, 4-meter test, 5 sit-stand test, handgrip strength, and trochanter circumference.