Research Information System
JOURNAL OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL NUTRITION, vol.47, pp.253-264, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Background and Aims This study aimed to investigate the potential role of shear-wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating muscle quality and assess its association with muscle strength and mass. Methods A total of 129 patients aged 18-87 years were included. Patients aged >65 years underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. Anthropometric measurements, assessment of physical performance, muscle strength (handgrip strength [HGS]), muscle mass (B-mode muscle ultrasonography), and muscle quality (identified via SWE) were performed for all patients. Results The median (interquartile range) age of participants was 69 (59-76) years and 62% (n = 80) were female. According to HGS, patients were divided into normal and low HGS groups, and there were 85 (65.9%) and 44 (34.1%) patients in each group, respectively. The median average value of SWE measurement (V-mean) of the rectus femoris (RF) in passive stretching was significantly lower in the low HGS group. In regression analyses, V-mean was significantly associated with HGS independently of age, sex, and body mass index. Optimal cutoff values of the V-mean value (m/s) of RF in passive stretching for predicting low HGS were <= 2.62 for male (area under the curve [AUC], 0.882; 95% CI, 0.705-0.938; P = <0.0001), and <= 2.52 for female (AUC, 0.719; 95% CI, 0.605-0.833; P = 0.002). Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study revealing SWE is a good predictor of muscle strength, and it could be a useful tool for evaluating muscle quality in clinical practice. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm the presented cutoff values.