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Muscle architecture and its relationship with lower extremity muscle strength in multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

This study was planned to determine the muscle architecture (pennation angle, muscle fiber length, and muscle thickness) and its relationship to lower extremity muscle strength in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS). The muscle architecture (pennation angle, muscle fiber length, and muscle thickness) and lower extremity muscle strength were assessed in 33 pwMS [13 Relapsing–Remitting MS (RRMS), 5 Primary Progressive MS (PPMS), 5 Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS), and 11 matched healthy controls (HC)]. Muscle architecture features were assessed with ultrasonography and muscle strength were assessed with a digital hand-held dynamometer. The rectus femoris muscle thickness and pennation angle, gastrocnemius muscle thickness, and the tibialis anterior pennation angle were significantly lower in pwMS compared to HC (p < 0.05). The strength of hip flexors, hip extensors, knee extensors, foot plantar, and foot dorsi flexors were lower in pwMS. In PPMS group, muscle strength of hip flexors was lower than RRMS and SPMS groups, and muscle strength of foot dorsi flexors was lower than RRMS (p < 0.05). In pwMS, positive correlations were found, between knee flexor strength and biceps femoris pennation angle. Also knee extensor strength and rectus femoris fiber length and muscle thickness were correlated positively (p < 0.05). According to our results the muscle architecture is affected in MS. The determination of architectural changes of lower extremity muscles may guide the arrangement of optimal strength exercises in functional rehabilitation programs.

ClinicalTrials: NCT03766698.

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Funding

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Science, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

    Zekiye İpek Katirci Kirmaci

  2. Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Tüzün Firat

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, SANKO University, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Hanifi Ayhan Özkur

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, SANKO University, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Ayşe Münife Neyal

  5. Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Abdurrahman Neyal

  6. Faculty of Health Science, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, SANKO University, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Nevin Ergun

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  1. Zekiye İpek Katirci Kirmaci
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Contributions

Conceptualization: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, AMN, AN, and NE; methodology: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, AMN, AN, and NE; formal analysis and investigation: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, and AMN; writing—original draft preparation: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, and AMN; writing—review and editing: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, AMN, AN, and NE; supervision: ZİKK, TF, HAÖ, AMN, AN, and NE.

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Correspondence to Zekiye İpek Katirci Kirmaci.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Kirmaci, Z.İ.K., Firat, T., Özkur, H.A. et al. Muscle architecture and its relationship with lower extremity muscle strength in multiple sclerosis. Acta Neurol Belg 122, 1521–1528 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-021-01768-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-021-01768-1

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