A review of studies that used B mode ultrasound to estimate age-related changes in anterior thigh skeletal muscle thickness across the adult lifespan

A review of studies that used B mode ultrasound to estimate age-related changes in anterior thigh skeletal muscle thickness across the adult lifespan

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Background: The purpose of this review was to synthesise and determine the age-related change per annum in muscle thickness of the anterior thigh across the adult lifespan.Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus and MEDLINE) were searched for primary studies that were screened for eligibility.Results: Following screening against eligibility Crop Tee criteria, 27 studies were included in the quantitative analysis.Linear regression revealed a 0.

02 cm (95 % CI: −0.01, −0.03, p < 0.05) decline in mean muscle thickness per annum from 18 to 80 years of age, a 0.

03 cm (95 % CI: −0.01 to −0.05) decline per annum between 20 and 49 years of age and a 0.05 cm (95 % CI: −0.

03, −0.07) decline per annum between 50 and 80 years of age.There was a 1.5 cm (t (25) = 6.

12, p < 0.05; 95 % CI= 0.98- 1.97 cm) mean difference in muscle thickness between the youngest (18–29yrs: 5.

13 cm ± 0.38) and oldest adults (70–80yrs) 3.63 cm ± 0.63).

There was no difference in the rate of decline of mean muscle Parts thickness between males (−0.05 cm/annum, 95 % CI= −0.08, −0.02) and females (−0.

04 cm/annum, 95 % CI= −0.07, −0.02).There was a larger difference in anterior thigh muscle thickness between the youngest and oldest in females (4.

98 cm vs.3.34 cm, 33 %, p < 0.05) compared with males (5.

23 cm vs.3.98 cm, 24 %, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Mean anterior thigh thickness was estimated to decrease at a rate of 0.02 cm per annum and this rate of decrease was greater after 50 years of age.Females were more susceptible to age-related reductions in anterior thigh muscle thickness than males.