Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38361481›Full record

ArticleJournal of anatomy2024

Fatty infiltration of gastrocnemius-soleus muscle complex: Considerations for myosteatosis rehabilitation.

Catherine Hatzantonis, Lalith Satkunam, Karyne N Rabey, Jennifer C Hocking, Anne M R Agur

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of anatomy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review of the Pathology of Muscle in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Catherine HatzantonisTrauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Lalith SatkunamDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Karyne N RabeyDivision of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3585-081X
Jennifer C HockingDivision of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9076-2081
Anne M R AgurDivision of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2303-3628
University of Alberta · CAAddenbrooke's Hospital · GBUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although previous studies have reported fatty infiltration of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex, little is known about the volumetric distribution and patterns of fatty infiltration. The purpose of this anatomical study was to document and quantify the frequency, distribution, and pattern of fatty infiltration of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex. One hundred formalin-embalmed specimens (mean age 78.1 ± 12.3 years; 48F/52M) were serially dissected to document the frequency, distribution, and pattern of fatty infiltration in the medial and lateral heads of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Fatty infiltration was found in 23% of specimens, 13 unilaterally (8F/5M) and 10 (5M/5F) bilaterally. The fatty infiltration process was observed to begin medially from the medial aspect of the medial head of gastrocnemius and medial margin of soleus and then progressed laterally throughout the medial head of gastrocnemius and the marginal, anterior, and posterior soleus. The lateral head of gastrocnemius remained primarily muscular in all specimens. Microscopically, the pattern of infiltration was demonstrated as intramuscular with intact aponeuroses, and septa. The remaining endo-, peri-, and epimysium preserved the overall contour of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex, even in cases of significant fatty replacement. Since the external contour of the calf is preserved, the presence of fatty infiltration may be underdiagnosed in the clinic without imaging. Myosteatosis is associated with gait and balance challenges in the elderly, which can impact quality of life and result in increased risk of falling. The findings of the study have implications in the rehabilitation management of elderly patients with sarcopenia and myosteatosis.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueMuscle, SkeletalAgedAged, 80 and overCadaverFemaleHumansMaleMiddle Agedfatty infiltrationgastrocnemius muscleIMATmyosteatosissoleus muscle

Identifiers

PMID38361481
PMCPMC11161819
OpenAlexW4391893455

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.