Abstract
BackgroundThe intrinsic muscles of the foot are key contributors to foot function and are important to evaluate in lower limb disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provides a non-invasive option to measure muscle morphology and composition, which are primary determinants of muscle function. Ultra-high-field (7-T) magnetic resonance imaging provides sufficient signal to evaluate the morphology of the intrinsic foot muscles, and, when combined with chemical-shift sequences, measures of muscle composition can be obtained. Here we aim to provide a proof-of-concept method for measuring intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition with high-field MRI.MethodsOne healthy female (age 39 years, mass 65 kg, height 1.73 m) underwent MRI. A T1-weighted VIBE – radio-frequency spoiled 3D steady state GRE – sequence of the whole foot was acquired on a Siemens 7T MAGNETOM scanner, as well as a 3T MAGNETOM Prisma scanner for comparison. A high-resolution fat/water separation image was also acquired using a 3D 2-point DIXON sequence at 7T. Coronal plane images from 3T and 7T scanners were compared. Using 3D Slicer software, regions of interest were manually contoured for each muscle on 7T images. Muscle volumes and percentage of muscle fat infiltration were calculated (muscle fat infiltration % = Fat/(Fat + Water) x100) for each muscle.ResultsCompared to the 3T images, the 7T images provided superior resolution, particularly at the forefoot, to facilitate segmentation of individual muscles. Muscle volumes ranged from 1.5 cm3 and 19.8 cm3, and percentage muscle fat infiltration ranged from 9.2–15.0%.ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept study demonstrates a feasible method of quantifying muscle morphology and composition for individual intrinsic foot muscles using advanced high-field MRI techniques. This method can be used in future studies to better understand intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition in healthy individuals, as well as those with lower disorders.
Highlights
The intrinsic muscles of the foot are key contributors to foot function and are important to evaluate in lower limb disorders
Franettovich Smith et al BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2021) 22:97 (Continued from previous page). This proof-of-concept study demonstrates a feasible method of quantifying muscle morphology and composition for individual intrinsic foot muscles using advanced high-field Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques
This method can be used in future studies to better understand intrinsic foot muscle morphology and composition in healthy individuals, as well as those with lower disorders
Summary
The intrinsic muscles of the foot are key contributors to foot function and are important to evaluate in lower limb disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provides a non-invasive option to measure muscle morphology and composition, which are primary determinants of muscle function. The anatomical configuration of the intrinsic foot muscles, such as their small size and depth within the foot, limits electromyography studies to invasive intramuscular evaluations Imaging modalities, such as ultrasound imaging (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provide a non-invasive option to measure muscle morphology (size and shape) and composition, which are primary determinants of muscle function (force output) [5]. Threedimensional MRI is considered a gold standard for quantification of muscle morphology as it allows evaluation of the whole muscle (i.e. volume) This contrasts ultrasound, which typically involves 2-dimensional imaging and measures of cross-sectional area or thickness from transverse and longitudinal views. MRI permits quantification of muscle composition (e.g. fat infiltration), which can affect the force producing capacity of a muscle [6]
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