scholarly journals Sex Differences in Ultrasound-Based Muscle Size and Mechanical Properties of the Cervical-Flexor and -Extensor Muscles

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Nagai ◽  
Nathan D. Schilaty ◽  
David A. Krause ◽  
Eric M. Crowley ◽  
Timothy E. Hewett

Context Neck pain (NP), neck injuries, and concussions are more prevalent in female athletes than in their male counterparts. Females exhibit less neck girth, strength, and stiffness against a perturbation. As part of the clinical examination for individuals with NP, ultrasound (US)–based imaging of the cervical muscles has become common. Muscle size or thickness and stiffness can be measured with US-based B-mode and shear-wave elastography (SWE), respectively. Information on reliability, normative values, and sex differences based on US-based muscle size or thickness and stiffness in young and athletic individuals is limited. Objective To evaluate sex differences in US-based muscle size or thickness and biomechanical properties of the cervical-flexor and -extensor muscles. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A total of 13 women (age = 23.7 ± 1.9 years, height = 167.1 ± 6.1 cm, mass = 63.8 ± 5.6 kg) and 11 men (age = 25.6 ± 4.9 years, height = 178.7 ± 8.3 cm, mass = 78.9 ± 12.0 kg). Main Outcome Measure(s) The same examiner collected all measures, using US B-mode to scan the cross-sectional area and thickness of the longus colli (LC), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), cervical-extensor muscles, and upper trapezius (UT) muscle. The US SWE-mode was used to measure the stiffness of the SCM and UT. Independent t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests were calculated to determine sex differences. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) measured intrarater test-retest reliability. Results Men had thicker SCMs than women (P = .01). No sex differences were present for longus colli cross-sectional area, cervical-extensor muscle thickness, or UT thickness (P > .05). In addition, no sex differences were evident for SCM (P = .302) or UT (P = .703) SWE stiffness. Reliability was good to excellent (ICC = 0.715–0.890) except for SCM SWE stiffness (ICC = 0.554). Conclusions The only sex difference was in SCM thickness. However, smaller SCMs in women did not result in less SCM SWE stiffness. We provided normative values for US-based imaging of the cervical-flexor and -extensor muscles in young and athletic men and women.

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryse Fortin ◽  
Octavian Dobrescu ◽  
Peter Jarzem ◽  
Jean Ouellet ◽  
Michael H. Weber

<sec><title>Study Design</title><p>Reliability study.</p></sec><sec><title>Purpose</title><p>To examine the reliability of novice and experienced raters for measurements of the size and composition of the cervical extensor muscles using a thresholding technique.</p></sec><sec><title>Overview of Literature</title><p>Although some authors have reported on the dependability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the cervical muscles, there remains some variability regarding intrarater and interrater reliabilities, and few studies have examined the associated measurement error. Whether the rater's experience noticeably influences the reliability and precision of such measurements has also not been examined.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A sample of 10 patients with cervical pathologies was selected. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), functional cross-sectional area (FCSA), and signal intensity of the cervical extensor muscles were acquired from axial T2-weighted MRIs by a novice and an experienced rater. All measurements were obtained twice, at least 5 days apart, while the raters were blinded to all earlier measurements.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Interrater reliability estimates (intraclass correlation coefficients) varied between 0.84 and 0.99 for the novice rater and between 0.94 and 0.99 for the experienced rater, indicating excellent reliability. The standard error of measurement for the novice rater was, however, noticeably higher for all cervical muscle measurements. Most of the interrater estimates showed excellent agreement with the exception of CSA measurement of the semispinalis cervicis at C4–C7 and FCSA measurement of the multifidus and semispinalis cervicis at C4–C7, which showed poor interrater reliability.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>The proposed method of investigating cervical muscle measurements was highly reliable; however, novice raters should receive adequate training before using this method for diagnostic, research, and clinical purposes.</p></sec>


2022 ◽  
pp. 110956
Author(s):  
Marcel B. Lanza ◽  
Hugo C. Martins-Costa ◽  
Carolina C. De Souza ◽  
Fernando V. Lima ◽  
Rodrigo C. Diniz ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinping Liu ◽  
Rong Xie ◽  
Huibing Ruan ◽  
Joshua Rivera ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (05) ◽  
pp. 366-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Loprete ◽  
V. Musella ◽  
D. Britti ◽  
J. M. Vilar ◽  
G. Spinella

SummaryThe aim of this study was to describe the cross-sectional area and mean echogenicity of the main tendons of the shoulder and elbow joints in adult German Shepherd dogs and to determine the effects of sex, weight, and age on these parameters. No previous publications in the veterinary literature have reported information regarding quantitative ultrasonographic tendon measurements in dogs.Thirty German Shepherd dogs were examined: 13 males and 17 females. The cross-sectional area was significantly higher in males than in females (p <0.05) for the distal tendon of the triceps brachii muscle and the tendons of the flexor carpi ulnaris and common digital extensor muscles. The influence of sex on mean echogenicity was not significant. According to age, mean echogenicity was higher in older dogs, while the cross-sectional areas were similar in the two groups. Cross-sectional area and mean echogenicity of the tendons showed a direct increase with an increase in body weight. The data gained from this study can help support the clinician to discriminate between normal and pathological conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysostomos Sahinis ◽  
Eleftherios Kellis ◽  
Nikiforos Galanis ◽  
Konstantinos Dafkou ◽  
Athanasios Ellinoudis

Aim: Τo examine the inter- and intra-muscular differences in the anatomical cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadricep muscles, using extended - field of view (EFOV) ultrasonography (US).Material and methods: Panoramic transverse US images of the thigh were acquired from 10 young participants at five different locations across the thigh, in two sessions, spaced a week apart. The CSA of the vastus medialis (VM), rectus femoris (RF), vastus intermedius (VI), vastus lateralis (VL) and tensor vastus intermedius (TVI) was quantified.Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.75 to 0.97 and the standard error of measurement ranged from 0.78% to 6.61%, indicating high test-retest reliability. Analysis of the variance indicated that among the 5 quadriceps muscles the VL and the RF displayed the greater CSA proximally, the VI medially and the VM distally across the thigh (p <0.05). No differences in the quadriceps CSA measured with and without including the TVI were found (p >0.05).Conclusions: The EFOV US technique provides transverse scans of the quadriceps muscle in vivo and allowed a reliable and non-invasive determination of CSA at a low cost. Evaluation of CSA along the thigh largely depends on the measurement site. Future studies that examine the quadriceps CSA using EFOV after any form of intervention should consider changes of at least 6.5% as meaningful.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke M Weinel ◽  
Matthew J Summers ◽  
Lee-Anne Chapple

Muscle wasting in the intensive care unit (ICU) is common and may impair functional recovery. Ultrasonography (US) presents a modern solution to quantify skeletal muscle size and monitor muscle wasting. However, no standardised methodology for the conduct of ultrasound-derived quadriceps muscle layer thickness or cross-sectional area in this population exists. The aim of this study was to compare methodologies reported for the measurement of quadriceps muscle layer thickness (MLT) and cross-sectional area (CSA) using US in critically ill patients. Databases PubMed, Ovid, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for original research publications that reported US-derived quadriceps MLT and/or CSA conducted in critically ill adult patients. Data were extracted from eligible studies on parameters relating to US measurement including anatomical location, patient positioning, operator technique and image analysis. It was identified that there was a clear lack of reported detail and substantial differences in the reported methodology used for all parameters. A standardised protocol and minimum reporting standards for US-derived measurement of quadriceps muscle size in ICU is required to allow for consistent measurement techniques and hence interpretation of results.


2001 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 487-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoru Tsuyama ◽  
Yosuke Yamamoto ◽  
Hideo Fujimoto ◽  
Takumi Adachi ◽  
Koichi Nakazato ◽  
...  

1984 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1399-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. MacDougall ◽  
D. G. Sale ◽  
S. E. Alway ◽  
J. R. Sutton

Muscle fiber numbers were estimated in vivo in biceps brachii in 5 elite male bodybuilders, 7 intermediate caliber bodybuilders, and 13 age-matched controls. Mean fiber area and collagen volume density were calculated from needle biopsies and muscle cross-sectional area by computerized tomographic scanning. Contralateral measurements in a subsample of seven subjects indicated the method for estimation of fiber numbers to have adequate reliability. There was a wide interindividual range for fiber numbers in biceps (172,085–418,884), but despite large differences in muscle size both bodybuilder groups possessed the same number of muscle fibers as the group of untrained controls. Although there was a high correlation between average cross-sectional fiber area and total muscle cross-sectional area within each group, many of the subjects with the largest muscles also tended to have a large number of fibers. Since there were equally well-trained subjects with fewer than normal fiber numbers, we interpret this finding to be due to genetic endowment rather than to training-induced hyperplasia. The proportion of muscle comprised of connective and other noncontractile tissue was the same for all subjects (approximately 13%), thus indicating greater absolute amounts of connective tissue in the trained subjects. We conclude that in humans, heavy resistance training directed toward achieving maximum size in skeletal muscle does not result in an increase in fiber numbers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-52
Author(s):  
M. A. Bedova ◽  
A. V. Klimkin ◽  
V. B. Voitenkov ◽  
N. V. Skripchenko

Introduction. Nerve ultrasound continues to progress due to improved technical equipment and knowledge, but so far not enough research has been done to determine the normative values of the cross-sectional area in children, and the obtained results differ between laboratories and researchers.Aim of the study. To determine the normative values of peripheral nerves» cross-sectional area in children 5–18 years old.Materials and methods. High resolution nerve ultrasound of brachial plexus, median, ulnar, radial, femoral, sciatic, tibial and peroneal nerves was performed in 30 children in real time. Nerve trunks were visualized throughout the limb from both sides. The cross-sectional area of the nerves was measured by a manual tracing method with the rounding of the hypoechogenic contours of the nerve trunk. Nerves’ crosssectional area was measured at distal and proximal sites. The obtained data were statistically processed using Excel and Statistica 10.Results. No bilateral cross-sectional area’s differences were found in children. Boys had significantly thicker nerves compared to girls, older age group (13–17 years old) compared to younger ones. There was a significant correlation between cross-sectional area of the median nerve at the level of the wrist, sciatic nerve and children’ height and weight.Conclusions. The normal values of cross-sectional area in children can be used in the practical work of a neurologists, neurophysiologists and ultrasound technicians.


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