Ultrasound Models Estimate Whole-Body Muscle Mass

New equations incorporating cross-sectional area improve estimation accuracy.

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Ultrasound-derived equations accurately estimated whole-body muscle mass in healthy Caucasian adults, achieving a standard error of estimate of 1.7 kg compared to MRI.
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The study involved 211 healthy Caucasian adults who underwent simultaneous MRI and ultrasound examinations to develop and validate muscle mass estimation models.
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Models combining muscle thickness and cross-sectional area measurements demonstrated improved prediction accuracy, with the best model achieving an adjusted R² of 0.948.
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The most practical equation for estimating muscle mass included six variables but showed lower accuracy, reflecting a trade-off between measurement burden and precision.
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Further research is needed to assess the applicability of the developed equations in nonhealthy populations, as the study was limited to healthy Caucasian individuals.

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