Assessment of Mechanical Properties of Muscles from Multi-Parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Editorial summary

Rabbit muscle specimens were examined by magnetic resonance imaging and then subjected to tensile testing to investigate whether imaging parameters could help estimate mechanical properties. Measurements at two postmortem intervals allowed the investigators to compare rigor and post-rigor conditions. Relationships between MRI-derived variables and elastic modulus differed with tissue condition, with stronger predictive associations within the separate groups than in the pooled data. The study presents an experimental approach to linking imaging and mechanics in muscle. Its findings are based on excised rabbit specimens and require further validation before clinical application.