Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .
Association between ultrasound measurements of muscle thickness, pennation angle, echogenicity and skeletal muscle strength in the elderly
The increase of elderly in our society requires simple tools for quantification of sarcopenia in inpatient and outpatient setting s. The aim of this study was to compare parameters determined with musculoskeletal ultrasound ( M-US ) with muscle strength in young and elderly patients . In this prospect i ve , r and omised and observer blind study , 26 young ( 24.2 ± 3.7 years ) and 26 old ( age 67.8 ± 4.8 years ) patients were included . Muscle thickness , pennation angle and echogenicity of all muscles of musculus quadriceps were measured by M-US and correlated with isometric maximum voluntary contraction force ( MVC ) of musculus quadriceps . Reproducibility of M-US measurements as well as simple and multiple regression models were calculated . Of all measured M-US variables the highest reproducibility was found for measurements of thickness ( intraclass correlation coefficients , 85–97 % ) . Simple regression analysis showed a highly significant correlation of thickness measurements of all muscles of musculus quadriceps with MVC in the elderly and in the young . Multiple regression analysis revealed that thickness of musculus vastus medialis had the best correlation with MVC in the elderly . This study showed that measurement of muscle thickness , especially of musculus vastus medialis , by M-US is a reliable , bedside method for monitoring the extent of sarcopenia
Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .