Studies in Muscle Mass in the Lower Limbs of the Elderly using a Portable Ultrasound Evaluation System

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The muscle strength in the lower limbs is very important for the elderly to maintain their capacity of activities of daily living (ADL). However, it is possible that muscle strength tests are risky for the Elderly, because it requires maximal muscle tension and gives great stress to the muscles and the joints. Therefore, we focused on the muscle area of the thigh, which has a strong relationship to muscle strength, and developed a new measuring system for the muscle cross sectional area in the thigh using ultrasound system. In addition, we derived at a standard value for evaluating the muscle area of the thigh, considering sex, age and body size, and examined relationship between the muscle area of the thigh and ADL abilities in middle-aged and elderly subjects.