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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Imaging
Sec. Imaging Applications
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimag.2024.1421979

Infrared Thermography and Computed Tomography Imaging for hind limb study after immobilisation-induced disuse atrophy

Provisionally accepted
Berenice Martinez-Gutierrez Berenice Martinez-Gutierrez 1,2Karla P. Garcia-Pelagio Karla P. Garcia-Pelagio 1,2*
  • 1 School of Science, Department of Physics, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
  • 2 Laboratory of Muscle Mechanobiology, School of Science, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Mexico

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Immobilisation for treatment after an injury can lead to disuse atrophy, resulting in reduced functionality and strength of the immobilised limb. In our study, we utilized infrared thermography (IR) and computed tomography (CT) ex vivo to assess both physiological and structural changes following hind limb immobilisation in a young Wistar rat model. Twelve rats weighing 275 ± 30g had their right hind limbs immobilised with a modified Thomas-splint for varying durations (3, 7, or 14 days). IR imaging using an infrared camera provided insight into limb temperature changes. For micro-CT, we implemented a stain-ethanol fixation method and a grey score which enabled us to visualise and quantify muscle alterations. Thermographic images showed an increase in temperature of up to 8 % in the hind limb at supine position at 14 days due to the inflammatory process while micro-CT exhibited muscle shrinkage of 10% and 18% at 7 and 14 days, respectively. Our findings underscore the efficacy of IR and micro-CT as rapid and precise imaging modalities for detecting morphological shifts in muscle tissue, particularly in pathological conditions like atrophy.

    Keywords: X-Rays, muscle atrophy, Infrared image, Animal Models, skeletal muscle physiology

    Received: 23 Apr 2024; Accepted: 19 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Martinez-Gutierrez and Garcia-Pelagio. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Karla P. Garcia-Pelagio, School of Science, Department of Physics, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

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