Imaging studies have transcended the historically common musculoskeletal use becoming a crucial tool in most health care fields providing valuable information in the diagnosis and management of many conditions and diseases. One of those conditions is the continuing growing epidemic of obesity in the United States of America becoming one of the major causes of mortality in our country. Obesity is not an isolated cosmetic element (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2012); it is a serious health factor with very noteworthy implications. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, cerebrovascular illnesses, cardiac problems, gout, osteoarthritis, gallbladder and kidney diseases, abnormal blood fats, some type of cancers such as colon, breast
…show more content…
Intramuscular adipose tissue or IMAT is a predictor of mobility function in a variety of metabolic, orthopedic, and neurological conditions treated at our practices. High level of IMAT are associated with muscle weakness, movement dysfunctions, and insulin resistance affecting motoric abilities. Although CT and MRI have been able to measured IMAT in several studies, there is a need for these imaging techniques to routinely quantify it. Comparisons between MRI and CT for IMAT identification have shown MRI is less harmful (due to no radiation), has higher sensitivity for identifying fatty tissues in muscle, and provides great anatomic details. The challenge with the MRI application in IMAT is that it is time consuming since many times manual segmentation is needed, making the process very difficult in small muscle areas. The relationship between IMAT and muscle fibers is extremely relevant when evaluating muscle dysfunction in patients with diabetes, stroke, and spinal cord injuries where muscle volume typically decreases. Muscle fat is highly associated to metabolic diseases, obesity, and physical inactivity mimicking the harmful influences typically generated by visceral adipose tissue. IMAT grows as we aged, therefore, there is an increased need to understand imaging testing related to this condition and also to make treatment adaptations to meet the needs of these patients (Addison et al.,
Intramuscular adipose tissue or IMAT is a predictor of mobility function in a variety of metabolic, orthopedic, and neurological conditions treated at our practices. High level of IMAT are associated with muscle weakness, movement dysfunctions, and insulin resistance affecting motoric abilities. Although CT and MRI have been able to measured IMAT in several studies, there is a need for these imaging techniques to routinely quantify it. Comparisons between MRI and CT for IMAT identification have shown MRI is less harmful (due to no radiation), has higher sensitivity for identifying fatty tissues in muscle, and provides great anatomic details. The challenge with the MRI application in IMAT is that it is time consuming since many times manual segmentation is needed, making the process very difficult in small muscle areas. The relationship between IMAT and muscle fibers is extremely relevant when evaluating muscle dysfunction in patients with diabetes, stroke, and spinal cord injuries where muscle volume typically decreases. Muscle fat is highly associated to metabolic diseases, obesity, and physical inactivity mimicking the harmful influences typically generated by visceral adipose tissue. IMAT grows as we aged, therefore, there is an increased need to understand imaging testing related to this condition and also to make treatment adaptations to meet the needs of these patients (Addison et al.,