Joint position affects muscle proton diffusion: Evaluation with a 3-T MR system.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether joint position affects muscle proton diffusion, fractional anisotropy and primary (lambda(1)), secondary (lambda(2)), and tertiary (lambda(3)) eigenvalues of calf muscles were compared among ankle positions of plantar flexion, intermediate, and dorsiflexion.


CONCLUSIONS
In tibialis anterior, fractional anisotropy and lambda(1) decreased, but lambda(2) and lambda(3) increased (p < 0.01) as the joint angle increased. Opposite results were obtained for the gastrocnemius and soleus (p < 0.05). These results indicate that joint position affects muscle proton diffusion.
Hatakenaka
Masamitsu
M
Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka City, Japan. mhatake@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Yabuuchi
Hidetake
H
Sunami
Shunya
S
Kamitani
Takeshi
T
Takayama
Yukihisa
Y
Nishikawa
Kei
K
Honda
Hiroshi
H
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016880:Anisotropy; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology*; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons