Ultrasound assessment of abdominal wall muscle thickness in liver transplant recipients and healthy donors: a comparative study for the assessment of sarcopenia
Shweta Aghi
Profil Orcid, Udit Dhingra
Profil Orcid, Gaurav Sindwani
Profil Orcid, Anil Yadav
Profil Orcid, Jaya Benjamin
Profil Orcid, Kanika Bansal
Profil Orcid, Viniyendra Pamecha
Profil Orcid oraz Deepak K. Tempe
Profil Orcid 
Kategoria artykułu: Research paper
Data publikacji: 30 cze 2025
Otrzymano: 13 maj 2025
Przyjęty: 25 cze 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2025.0020
Słowa kluczowe
© 2025 Shweta Aghi et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Aim
Sarcopenia is a significant predictor of postoperative morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients. Traditional assessment tools such as computed tomography (CT) and bioelectrical impedance analysis have limitations in clinical use. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of ultrasonography (USG) in assessing abdominal muscle thickness as a marker of sarcopenia.
Material and methods
This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary liver transplant center between September 2023 and May 2024. USG was used to measure the thickness of the external oblique (EO), internal oblique, and transversus abdominis (TA) muscles in 41 liver transplant recipients and 41 healthy donors. Sarcopenia was also assessed using CT-based L3 skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) and hand grip strength. Correlations with disease severity (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP)), postoperative outcomes, and ascitic fluid volume were analyzed.
Results
Abdominal muscle thickness was significantly lower in recipients compared to donors (EO: 2.9 ± 1.0 mm vs. 4.5 ± 1.8 mm; TA: 2.2 ± 0.7 mm vs. 3.2 ± 1.0 mm;
Conclusions
USG-derived abdominal muscle thickness, especially EO <3.6 mm and TA <2.55 mm in males, is a reliable, non-invasive marker for sarcopenia in liver transplant candidates. It correlates with disease severity and postoperative morbidity, supporting its utility in pre-transplant risk stratification.