title: Normal values for quantitative muscle ultrasonography in adults.
abstract: Ultrasonography can detect structural muscle changes caused by neuromuscular disease. Quantitative analysis is the preferred method to determine if ultrasound findings are within normal limits, but normative data are incomplete. The purpose of this study was to provide normative muscle ultrasonography data for muscle thickness and echo intensity for five different muscle groups in adults. Bilateral scans of the sternocleidomastoid, biceps brachii/brachialis, forearm flexor group, quadriceps femoris, and tibialis anterior were made in 95 volunteers, aged 17-90 years. Both muscle thickness and echo intensity showed gender differences and a muscle-specific non-linear correlation with age. The muscles of the upper extremities showed right-left differences. These data demonstrate the effect of age on muscle characteristics and provide normative values that can be used in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Neuromuscular Centre Nijmegen, Department of Neurology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ilse M P
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pillen
authors.forename: H Jurgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schelhaas
authors.forename: Sebastiaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Overeem
authors.forename: Machiel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zwarts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult