Ultrasound assesses muscle morphology and function under different neuropathological conditions

BACKGROUND: With the promotion and development of ultrasound imaging technology, ultrasound is real-time, non-invasive, convenient and accurate to detect structural parameters of the muscle, such as fascicle length, pennation angle, muscle thickness and cross-sectional area of muscle. Ultrasound assessment has become an effective means to detecting the effect of nervous system diseases on muscle morphology and function. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the advantages of ultrasound technique to detect the skeletal muscle under different neuropathological conditions, and to investigate how to perform accurate operation. METHODS: A computer-based online search of PubMed and Wanfang databases was performed using the keywords of "ultrasound, ultrasonography, B-mode ultrasonography, muscular architecture" in English and Chinese. A total of 144 articles were retrieved, and finally 74 were included. We performed interpretation of muscle morphological parameters, retrospectively reviewed articles addressing ultrasound measurements of muscle morphology to assess muscle function under different neuropathological conditions, also investigated the actual problems in ultrasound applications at this stage in order to improve operation accuracy and reduce the level of errors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Ultrasound imaging technology is a valuable tool which is real time, noninvasive, convenient and accurate for measurement of muscle morphological parameters. Ultrasonic measurement of muscle morphology, in the field of rehabilitation medicine, can be used to evaluate muscle function, thereby guiding the rehabilitation plan and assaying the effect of rehabilitation treatment. In other areas, ultrasonic measurement of muscle morphology has been applied in care sectors to monitor muscle weakness in patients, displaying the unique advantages of ultrasound that can provide muscle morphological information.