Characteristics of the Passive Muscle Stiffness of the Vastus Lateralis: A Feasibility Study to Assess Muscle Fibrosis

Abstract

Skeletal muscle fibrosis occurs with aging and has been suggested to impair muscle performance, thereby decreasing quality of life. Recently, muscle stiffness, a surrogate measure of muscle fibrosis, was noninvasively quantified as the shear modulus using ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) in humans. We aimed to investigate thigh muscle stiffness in females and males, respectively, across a broad range of ages by using SWE. Eighty-six community-dwelling Japanese people who were aged 30 to 79 years and did not regularly exercise participated in this study. The vastus lateralis (VL) shear modulus was measured at three different knee joint angles: full extension, 90° of flexion, and full flexion. There were no significant main effects of sex or age on the VL shear modulus in full extension or 90° of flexion of the knee. However, the VL shear modulus in knee full flexion was significantly smaller in females than in males and increased with age from 47.9 years. The results suggest that the accelerated increase in VL stiffness that occurs after an individual passes their late 40s may be an important therapeutic target for developing effective treatments and programs that preserve and improve quality of life.