Feasibility of using chest computed tomography (CT) imaging at the first lumbar vertebra (L1) level to assess skeletal muscle mass: a retrospective study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Skeletal muscle mass is an essential parameter for diagnosing sarcopenia. The gold standard for assessing skeletal muscle mass is using computed tomography (CT) to measure skeletal muscle area at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level. This study aims to investigate whether skeletal muscle mass could be evaluated at the first lumbar vertebra (L1) level using images obtained from routine chest CT scans.

Methods

Skeletal muscle index (SMI, cm²/m²) and skeletal muscle density (SMD, HU) are commonly used to measure relative muscle mass and the degree of fat infiltration. This study used CT images at the L1 level to measure the skeletal muscle area (SMA, cm²) in 815 subjects from the health examination center. Linear regression analysis w

SUBMITTER: Liu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10720423 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature