Ultrasonography comparison of muscle thickness and echo intensity of the trunk muscles and psoas major in healthy young and elderly females

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the muscle thickness and echo intensity of the trunk muscles and psoas major with ultrasonography in order to clarify the quantitative and qualitative changes of these muscles between healthy young and elderly females. [Participants and Methods] Twenty healthy young and 20 healthy elderly females were recruited for this study. Muscle thickness and echo intensity of the external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, lumbar multifidus and psoas major were measured using ultrasonography. [Results] Muscle thicknesses of the external and internal obliques and psoas major were significantly lower in the elderly females than in the young females; however, there were no significant differences between the two age groups in the transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus. Echo intensities of all muscles were significantly higher in the elderly females than in the young females. [Conclusion] The results of this study indicate that the external and internal obliques and psoas major of healthy elderly females were quantitively less and qualitatively lower than in healthy young females. The transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus of healthy elderly females were also qualitatively lower than in healthy young females.