Evaluate the muscle mass in patients with inguinal hernia using CT scan: a prospective study

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the muscle mass in elderly patients with inguinal hernia using CT scan. Methods 30 male (age 70-90 years) hospitalized patients scheduled to receive surgery for inguinal hernia were selected into study group, 10 male health volunteers (40-50 years) were involved in adult control group, and 10 men of the same age as the study receiving annual physical examination were enrolled as elderly control group. General information were recorded; CT scanning of the stomach muscles and thigh muscles were conducted, and the muscle area was calculated using a special software. Results The index of grip strength in the study group was significantly lower than the adult control group [(36.44±14.15)kg vs. (77.30±22.69)kg, P=0.001], the calf circumference in the study group was significantly less than the adult control group [(25.18±2.31)cm vs. (27.62±2.33)cm, P=0.006]. There was no significant difference in L3 abdominal area, subcutaneous fat area, abdominal fat area, and vertical spinal muscular volume between the study group and the adult control group; while the L3 abdominal muscle area and vertical spinal muscular mass was significantly less in the study group than in the adult control group [(12 094.23±1 970.30)mm2vs. (17 462.00±1 600.58)mm2,P=0.001; (1 642.60±266.90)mm2vs. (2 003.50±350.91)mm2,P=0.007]. L3 skeletal muscle index of the study group was 50.64±7.52 and 66.7%(20/30) of the study group had sarcopenia (≤52.4%). The CT findings of abdominal muscle of the study group were not significantly different from those of the elderly control group. The thigh muscle mass in the study group was significantly less than that in the control group (P=0.001), but there was no significant inter-group difference in thigh fat and femur areas (P>0.05). Conclusion The muscle mass and strength in elderly patients with inguinal hernia are significantly lower than those of adult controls, for which CT scan can be applied for assessment. Key words: Computed tomography technology; Sarcopenia; The elderly; Inguinal hernia; Grip strength; Calf circumference