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Congress: ECR25
Poster Number: C-22114
Type: Poster: EPOS Radiologist (scientific)
Authorblock: A. Martin, S. Zoller, K. Pawlus, C. Paverd, T. Frauenfelder, F. Huber; Zürich/CH
Disclosures:
Alexander Martin: Nothing to disclose
Sophia Zoller: Nothing to disclose
Karolina Pawlus: Nothing to disclose
Catherine Paverd: Nothing to disclose
Thomas Frauenfelder: Nothing to disclose
Florian Huber: Nothing to disclose
Keywords: Musculoskeletal soft tissue, Ultrasound physics, MR, Ultrasound, Physics, Technology assessment, Tissue characterisation
Purpose Sarcopenia, a condition characterised by the loss of muscle mass and strength, is a growing concern in ageing populations1, 2. This study explores the use of ultrasound (US) as a cost-effective alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing muscle quality. Specifically, it compares ultrasound echo intensity (EI) and attenuation imaging (ATI) with MRI fat fraction (MR %FF) in the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps brachii (BB) muscles.
Read more Methods and materials A prospective multicenter study was conducted with 34 participants (20 female, 14 male, aged 21-88) to compare ultrasound (US) and MRI for assessing muscle quality. Participants underwent whole-body MRI between 2020 and 2024, followed by ultrasound assessments of the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps brachii (BB) muscles in April 2024. Participants were selected based on specific criteria, excluding those with excessive MRI artefacts. Key factors such as age, sex, BMI, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and sarcopenia risk (using the SARC-F...
Read more Results Echo Intensity and MR Fat FractionEI and MR %FF Correlation: This study confirmed the relationship between EI and MR %FF, with both operators observing that increased EI correlates with higher MR %FF. The strong inter-operator correlation (0.95) reinforces the reliability of EI measurements, especially for the biceps brachii (BB). Operator 1 and Operator 2, as seen per Figure 3, showed comparable measurements in both the RF and BB. [fig 3] Rectus Femoris (RF) vs. Biceps Brachii (BB): EI values were approximately 50% higher in...
Read more Conclusion Echo Intensity (EI) is a promising, noninvasive, and cost-effective tool for screening sarcopenia, showing strong correlations with MRI fat fraction. Attenuation Imaging (ATI) did not correlate with MRI fat fraction or EI, indicating that further protocol adjustments and software improvements are needed for it to be useful in muscle quality assessment.Clinical Implications: Ultrasound-based EI offers a practical alternative to MRI for early detection of sarcopenia, particularly in settings where MRI is unavailable or too costly.Limitations: Small sample size (n=34). Time gap...
Read more References Mirón Mombiela, R.; Vucetic, J.; Rossi, F.; Tagliafico, A.S. Ultrasound Biomarkers for Sarcopenia: What Can We Tell so Far? Semin. Musculoskelet. Radiol. 2020, 24, 181–193, doi:10.1055/s-0039-3402745. Sayer, A.A.; Cruz-Jentoft, A. Sarcopenia Definition, Diagnosis and Treatment: Consensus Is Growing. Age Ageing 2022, 51, afac220, doi:10.1093/ageing/afac220. Young, H.; Jenkins, N.T.; Zhao, Q.; Mccully, K.K. Measurement of Intramuscular Fat by Muscle Echo Intensity. Muscle Nerve 2015, 52, 963–971, doi:10.1002/mus.24656. Grozier, C.; Keen, M.; Collins, K.; Tolzman, J.; Fajardo, R.; Slade, J.M.; Kuenze, C.; Harkey, M.S. Rectus...
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