title: Reference data on muscle volumes of healthy human pelvis and lower extremity muscles: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging feasibility study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 13, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lube
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cotofana
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 13, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bechmann
authors.affiliation: Department Human Locomotion, Institute of Sport Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Orkun
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Özkurtul
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 13, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steinke
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 13, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. nlshammer@googlemail.com.|School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. nlshammer@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hammer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D010388:Pelvis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Healthy young individuals; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pelvis and lower limb muscle volume