Lower extremity muscle structure in incomplete spinal cord injury: a comparison between ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging

Following a spinal cord injury, motor function can be affected by changes in muscle mass and structure. This study compares ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring muscle size in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). MRI is often used to quantify muscle size, but it can be expensive. Ultrasound is a potentially cheaper and more practical alternative. This study aims to see if ultrasound measurements of muscle thickness correlate with MRI measurements of muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) in patients with incomplete SCI. The study found significant correlations between ultrasound muscle thickness and MRI CSA in the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. This suggests that ultrasound could be a useful and cost-effective way to track muscle changes during rehabilitation for people with incomplete SCI.

• 1
  Significant positive linear correlations were found between MRI cross-sectional area and US muscle thickness in the gastrocnemius muscle.
• 2
  Significant positive linear correlations were found between MRI cross-sectional area and US muscle thickness in the tibialis anterior muscle.
• 3
  The correlation between ultrasound and MRI measurements was stronger in the gastrocnemius muscle compared to the tibialis anterior muscle, possibly due to differences in muscle morphology and range of values.