Ultrasound Muscle Biomarkers as Predictors of Isometric Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Handgrip in Healthy Adults: an Observational Study (MUSCLE-US)
12 de junio de 2026 actualizado por: Nicola S. Diciolla, University of Alcala
This observational study aims to determine whether ultrasound-derived muscle biomarkers can predict isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip in healthy adults aged 18-89 years.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Which ultrasound muscle characteristics are associated with isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip?
- Can ultrasound-derived biomarkers be used to develop predictive models of muscle strength in healthy adults?
Participants will undergo:
- Ultrasound assessment of the quadriceps and forearm flexor muscles;
- Measurement of isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip using standardized dynamometry protocols;
- Assessment of functional capacity, mobility and balance;
- Completion of questionnaires related to health status, physical activity, nutrition, fatigue and health-related quality of life.
The study will also assess the reliability of ultrasound measurements and explore the relationship between ultrasound variables, muscle strength, physical function and health-related factors.
Descripción general del estudio
Estado
Aún no reclutando
Descripción detallada
Peripheral muscle strength is an important determinant of physical function, independence and health outcomes. Reduced quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip have been associated with functional limitations, frailty, hospitalization and mortality. Although muscle ultrasound is increasingly used to assess muscle morphology and quality, its ability to predict muscle strength remains incompletely understood.
The MUSCLE-US study is a monocentre observational study designed to investigate the relationship between ultrasound-derived muscle biomarkers and isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip in healthy adults. Participants aged 18-89 years will be recruited from community settings and stratified by age and sex.
Ultrasound assessments will be performed on the quadriceps and forearm flexor muscles using standardized acquisition procedures. First-order variables (e.g., muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, pennation angle, fascicle length), second-order texture features and higher-order ultrasound biomarkers will be extracted and analysed.
Isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip will be measured using standardized dynamometry protocols. Additional assessments will include functional capacity tests, mobility and balance measures, physical activity, nutritional status, fatigue, dyspnoea, health-related quality of life, lifestyle factors and comorbidity profiles.
The primary objective is to identify ultrasound biomarkers associated with quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip, and to develop predictive models of muscle strength. Secondary objectives include assessment of ultrasound measurement reliability and exploration of relationships between ultrasound biomarkers, muscle strength, physical function and health-related characteristics.
Recruitment, assessor training, ultrasound standardisation procedures and reliability analyses will be conducted during the initial phase of the project, followed by the main recruitment and data collection phase and subsequent statistical modelling and dissemination activities.
Tipo de estudio
De observación
Inscripción (Estimado)
300
Contactos y Ubicaciones
Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.
Estudio Contacto
- Nombre: Nicola S. Diciolla, PT, Ph.D.
- Número de teléfono: +34 918 85 48 28
- Correo electrónico: nicola.diciolla@uah.es
Copia de seguridad de contactos de estudio
- Nombre: Beatriz Sánchez-Sánchez, PT, Ph.D.
- Número de teléfono: +34 918 85 48 28
- Correo electrónico: beatriz.sanchez@uah.es
Criterios de participación
Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.
Criterio de elegibilidad
Edades elegibles para estudiar
- Adulto
- Adulto Mayor
Acepta Voluntarios Saludables
Sí
Método de muestreo
Muestra no probabilística
Población de estudio
Community-dwelling healthy adults aged 18-89 years residing in Spain.
Participants will be recruited through community advertisements, institutional dissemination channels, and collaborating centres.
The study aims to investigate the relationship between ultrasound-derived muscle biomarkers and isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip in a healthy adult population.
Descripción
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy adults aged 18-89 years.
- Resident in Spain for at least 5 years.
- Living independently in the community and able to complete all study assessments.
- Able to understand and follow verbal instructions in Spanish.
- Able and willing to provide written informed consent prior to study participation.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Neurological, musculoskeletal, or systemic disorders affecting muscle strength or mobility.
- Recent surgery or acute injury affecting the upper or lower limbs.
- Recent use of medications affecting the musculoskeletal system (e.g., systemic corticosteroids for >1 week during the previous 6 months or muscle relaxants during the previous week).
- Cognitive or psychiatric conditions limiting participation.
- Pregnancy.
- Recent postpartum period (≤3 months after delivery).
- Presence of clinically relevant pain, fatigue, physical deconditioning, or functional limitations that may interfere with study procedures or measurement validity.
- Acute illness at the time of assessment.
- Uncontrolled hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg).
- Resting peripheral oxygen saturation ≤90%.
- Moderate-to-severe pain (Numeric Rating Scale ≥4/10).
- Any medical condition considered by the investigator to contraindicate study participation.
Plan de estudios
Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.
¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?
Detalles de diseño
Cohortes e Intervenciones
Grupo / Cohorte |
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Healthy adults
Healthy/community-dwelling adults aged 18-89 years participating in an observational study evaluating ultrasound-derived muscle biomarkers and their relationship with isometric quadriceps muscle strength and handgrip.
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¿Qué mide el estudio?
Medidas de resultado primarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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Isometric quadriceps muscle strength
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Quadricpes maximal voluntary contraction measured using a handheld dynamometer according to a standardized testing protocol.
Peak force will be recorded in kilograms-force (kgf).
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Day 1
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Handgrip
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Maximal voluntary handgrip measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer according to the American Society of Hand Therapists protocol.
Peak force will be recorded in kilograms-force (kgf).
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Day 1
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Ultrasound-derived muscle biomarkers
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Muscle ultrasound biomarkers obtained from standardized B-mode ultrasound images of selected quadriceps and forearm muscles.
Candidate variables include muscle morphology, architecture, grayscale characteristics and texture-based parameters.
The final set of ultrasound-derived biomarkers will be defined following assessor training, protocol standardization and pilot reliability analyses.
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Day 1
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Medidas de resultado secundarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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Five-repetition sit-to-stand test
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Functional capacity assessed by the time required to complete five sit-to-stand repetitions according to standardised procedures.
Results will be expressed in seconds.
Lower values indicate better lower-limb functional capacity.
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Day 1
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One-minute sit-to-stand test
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Functional capacity assessed as the number of sit-to-stand repetitions completed in one minute according to standardised procedures.
Higher values indicate better functional exercise capacity.
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Day 1
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Timed Up and Go test
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Mobility and dynamic balance assessed using the Timed Up and Go test.
Results will be expressed in seconds.
Lower values indicate better mobility and dynamic balance.
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Day 1
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Modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Dyspnoea severity assessed using the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale.
Scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater breathlessness.
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Day 1
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Modified Borg dyspnoea scale
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Perceived breathlessness assessed using the modified Borg dyspnoea scale.
Scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater breathlessness.
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Day 1
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Dyspnoea-12
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Dyspnoea assessed using the Dyspnoea-12 questionnaire.
The total score ranges from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating more severe breathlessness.
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Day 1
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Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Fatigue assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue questionnaire.
Scores range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating less fatigue.
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Day 1
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EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Health-related quality of life assessed using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D) questionnaire.
The index score will be calculated according to the appropriate national value set.
Higher scores indicate better health status.
Self-rated health assessed using the EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale.
Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better perceived health.
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Day 1
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International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Physical activity assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form.
Results will be expressed as minutes per week spent in vigorous/moderate/total physical activity, time per week spent walking and hours per day spent in sedentary behaviour (sitting).
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Day 1
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Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Nutritional status assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form.
Scores range from 0 to 14, with higher scores indicating better nutritional status.
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Day 1
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Otras medidas de resultado
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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Age
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Participant age recorded in completed years.
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Day 1
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Weight
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Participant weight recorded in kilograms.
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Day 1
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Height
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Participant height recorded in metres.
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Day 1
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Body mass index
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Body mass index calculated as weight divided by height squared.
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Day 1
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Sex
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Participant biological sex recorded as female or male.
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Day 1
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Systemic inflammation markers
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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CRP, IL-6, eosinophils, fibrinogen, neutrophil elastase, ESR, KL-6, SP-D, FeNO, IgE, calprotectin, if available, from medical records.
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Day 1
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Charlson Comorbidity Index
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Comorbidity burden assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index.
Higher scores indicate greater comorbidity burden.
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Day 1
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Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Current medication use classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System.
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Day 1
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Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Alcohol consumption assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C).
Higher scores indicate greater alcohol consumption and increased risk of hazardous drinking.
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Day 1
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Smoking Exposure (pack-year index)
Periodo de tiempo: Day 1
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Lifetime smoking exposure quantified using the pack-year index, calculated from self-reported smoking history.
A higher pack-year index means greater cumulative exposure to tobacco smoking over lifetime.
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Day 1
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.
Patrocinador
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Nicola S. Diciolla, PT, Ph.D., University of Alcala
Fechas de registro del estudio
Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.
Fechas importantes del estudio
Inicio del estudio (Estimado)
1 de junio de 2026
Finalización primaria (Estimado)
1 de junio de 2028
Finalización del estudio (Estimado)
1 de junio de 2029
Fechas de registro del estudio
Enviado por primera vez
9 de junio de 2026
Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
9 de junio de 2026
Publicado por primera vez (Actual)
15 de junio de 2026
Actualizaciones de registros de estudio
Última actualización publicada (Actual)
16 de junio de 2026
Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
12 de junio de 2026
Última verificación
1 de junio de 2026
Más información
Términos relacionados con este estudio
Palabras clave
Otros números de identificación del estudio
- CEIP/2026/2/39
Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)
¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?
SÍ
Descripción del plan IPD
Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in publications, after de-identification, will be made available.
Shared data may include demographic characteristics, anthropometric variables, isometric quadriceps muscle strength, handgrip, ultrasound-derived muscle variables, functional capacity measures, and patient-reported outcomes/questionnaire data collected as part of the study.
Direct identifiers will be removed before data sharing.
Data sharing will comply with applicable ethical approvals, informed consent provisions, and data protection regulations.
Marco de tiempo para compartir IPD
De-identified individual participant data and supporting documents will become available beginning 12 months after publication of the primary study results and will remain available for at least 5 years thereafter.
Criterios de acceso compartido de IPD
Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for secondary analyses or validation studies may request access to the de-identified dataset.
Requests will be reviewed by the study investigators.
Data will be provided following approval of the proposal and execution of a data-sharing agreement, when required, in accordance with ethical and legal requirements.
Supporting documents, including the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, informed consent form template, and analytic code, will be made available upon reasonable request.
Tipo de información de apoyo para compartir IPD
- PROTOCOLO DE ESTUDIO
- SAVIA
- CIF
- CÓDIGO_ANALÍTICO
Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio
Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
No
Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
No
Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .