Diffusion tensor MRI to assess skeletal muscle disruption following eccentric exercise

AbstractIntroduction: Structural evidence of exercise‐induced muscle disruption has traditionally involved histological analysis of muscle tissue obtained by needle biopsy, however, there are multiple limitations with this technique. Recently, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT‐MRI) has been successfully demonstrated to noninvasively assess skeletal muscle abnormalities induced by traumatic injury. Methods: To determine the potential for DT‐MRI to detect musculoskeletal changes after a bout of eccentric exercise, 10 healthy men performed 300 eccentric actions on an isokinetic dynamometer. DT‐MRI measurements and muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were obtained before and 24 h post‐exercise. Results: Z‐band streaming was higher 24 h post‐exercise compared with baseline (P < 0.05). The histological indices of damage coincided with changes in DT‐MRI parameters of fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient; reflecting altered skeletal muscle geometry (P < 0.05). Z‐band streaming quantified per fiber correlated with FA (r = −0.512; P < 0.05). Conclusions: DT‐MRI can detect changes in human skeletal muscle structure following eccentric exercise. Muscle Nerve 46: 42–50, 2012

Diffusion tensor MRI to assess skeletal muscle disruption following eccentric exercise Journal Articles