ArticlePeerJ2020
Declines in skeletal muscle quality vs. size following two weeks of knee joint immobilization.
Article in PeerJ, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Single-leg disuse decreases skeletal muscle strength, size, and power in uninjured adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2023Pooled it
- Cross-education attenuates muscle weakness and facilitates strength recovery after orthopedic immobilization in females: A pilot study.Physiological reports · 2025Trial
- Combined action observation and mental imagery versus neuromuscular electrical stimulation as novel therapeutics during short-term knee immobilization.Experimental physiology · 2024Trial
- A Comparison of Methods for Tracking Muscle Quality During Early-Phase Rehabilitation Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Correlation of Physical Activity Level with Muscle Strength and Size During One Week of Knee Joint Immobilization.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Gonarthrosis related changes in quadriceps muscle architecture and physical function outcomes in women.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Leg immobilization and subsequent recovery resistance training affect skeletal muscle angiogenesis related markers in young healthy adults regardless of prior resistance training experience.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Ex-vivo validation of spatial gain sonography for the quantification of echo intensity in fascicle-aligned ultrasound images in ten anatomical muscles in Bos taurus.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- The impact of skeletal muscle disuse on distinct echo intensity bands: A retrospective analysis.PloS one · 2022Article
- The Influence of Sonographer Experience on Skeletal Muscle Image Acquisition and Analysis.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2021Article
- EMG Activity With Use of a Hands-Free Single Crutch vs a Knee Scooter.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2021Article
- Implementing Ultrasound Imaging for the Assessment of Muscle and Tendon Properties in Elite Sports: Practical Aspects, Methodological Considerations and Future Directions.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2021Review
- Does skeletal muscle morphology or functional performance better explain variance in fast gait speed in older adults?Aging clinical and experimental research · 2021Article
- Echo intensity as an indicator of skeletal muscle quality: applications, methodology, and future directions.European journal of applied physiology · 2021Review
- Comparison of Lower Extremity EMG Muscle Testing With Hands-Free Single Crutch vs Standard Axillary Crutches.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDisuse of a muscle group, which occurs during bedrest, spaceflight, and limb immobilization, results in atrophy. It is unclear, however, if the magnitude of decline in skeletal muscle quality is similar to that for muscle size. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two weeks of knee joint immobilization on vastus lateralis and rectus femoris echo intensity and cross-sectional area.
methodsThirteen females (mean ± SD age = 21 ± 2 years) underwent two weeks of left knee joint immobilization via ambulating on crutches and use of a brace. B-mode ultrasonography was utilized to obtain transverse plane images of the immobilized and control vastus lateralis and rectus femoris at pretest and following immobilization. Effect size statistics and two-way repeated measures analyses of variance were used to interpret the data.
resultsNo meaningful changes were demonstrated for the control limb and the rectus femoris of the immobilized limb. Analyses showed a large increase in vastus lateralis echo intensity (i.e., decreased muscle quality) for the immobilized limb (
conclusionIn female participants, two weeks of knee joint immobilization resulted in greater deterioration of muscle quality than muscle size. Echo intensity appears to be an attractive clinical tool for monitoring muscle quality during disuse.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.