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Reference data on muscle volumes of healthy human pelvis and lower extremity muscles: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging feasibility study

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Abstract

Purpose

Muscle volumes are of crucial interest when attempting to analyze individual physical performance and disease- or age-related alterations in muscle morphology. However, very little reference data are available in the literature on pelvis and lower extremity muscle volumes originating from healthy and young individuals. Furthermore, it is of interest if representative muscle volumes, covering large anatomical regions, can be obtained using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a setting similar to the clinical routine. Our objective was therefore to provide encompassing, bilateral, 3-T MRI-based datasets on muscle volumes of the pelvis and the lower limb muscles.

Methods

T1-weighted 3-T MRI records were obtained bilaterally from six young and healthy participants. Three-dimensional volumes were compiled from 28 muscles and muscle groups of each participant before the muscle volumes were computed.

Results

Muscle volumes were obtained from 28 muscles and muscle groups of the pelvis and lower extremity. Volumes were larger in male than in female participants. Volumes of the dominant and non-dominant sides were similar in both genders. The obtained results were in line with volumetric data obtained from smaller anatomical areas, thus extending the available datasets.

Conclusions

This study provides an encompassing and feasible approach to obtain data on the muscle volumes of pelvic and limb muscles of healthy, young, and physically active individuals. The respective data form a basis to determine effects of therapeutic approaches, progression of diseases, or technical applications like automated segmentation algorithms applied to different populations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Susanne Bán, Philipp Pieroh, Uwe Planitzer, Maria Schaebs, and Felix Schmidt for their aid with the segmentations. Heike Röder obtained the MRI records and Gustav F. Preller proofread the manuscript as a native speaker.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 13, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Juliane Lube, Ingo Bechmann, Hanno Steinke & Niels Hammer

  2. Institute of Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria

    Sebastian Cotofana

  3. Department Human Locomotion, Institute of Sport Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany

    Thomas L. Milani

  4. Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Orkun Özkurtul

  5. School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Tatsuo Sakai & Niels Hammer

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  1. Juliane Lube
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  2. Sebastian Cotofana
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Correspondence to Niels Hammer.

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Lube, J., Cotofana, S., Bechmann, I. et al. Reference data on muscle volumes of healthy human pelvis and lower extremity muscles: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging feasibility study. Surg Radiol Anat 38, 97–106 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-015-1526-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-015-1526-4

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