Abstract
Introduction: After hospitalization, early detection of musculoskeletal sequelae might help healthcare professionals to improve and individualize treatment, accelerating recovery after COVID-19. The objective was to determine the association between the 30s sit-to-stand muscle power (30s-STS) and cross-sectional area of the chest muscles (pectoralis) in COVID-19 survivors.
Method: This cross-sectional study collected routine data from COVID-19 survivors one month after hospitalization: 1) a chest computed tomography (CT) scan and 2) a functional capacity test (30s-STS). The pectoralis muscle area (PMA) was measured from axial CT images. For each gender, patients were categorized into tertiles based on PMA. The 30s-STS was performed to determine the leg extension power. The allometric and relative STS power were calculated as absolute 30s-STS power normalized to height squared and body mass. The two-way ANOVA was used to compare the gender-stratified tertiles of 30s-STS power variants.
Results: Fifty-eight COVID-19 survivors were included (mean age 61.2 ± 12.9 years, 30/28 (51.7%/48.3%) men/women). The two-way ANOVA showed significant differences between the PMA tertiles in absolute STS power ( p = .002) and allometric STS power ( p = .001). There were no significant gender x PMA tertile interactions (all variables p > .05). The high tertile of PMA showed a higher allometric STS power compared to the low and middle tertile, p = .002 and p = .004, respectively. Absolute STS power and allometric STS power had a moderate correlation with the PMA, r = 0.519 ( p < .001) and r = 0.458 ( p < .001) respectively.
Conclusion: The 30s-STS power is associated with pectoralis muscle thickness in both male and female COVID-19 survivors. Thus, this test may indicate global muscle-wasting and may be used as a screening tool for lower extremity functional capacity in the early stages of rehabilitation planning in COVID-19 survivors.
Keywords: Functional fitness; SARS-CoV-2; computed tomography; pectoralis muscle.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Computed tomography, Functional fitness, pectoralis muscle., 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Treatment, Hospitalization, cross-sectional, healthcare professionals, Gender, rehabilitation, variants, Computed tomography, Chest computed tomography, cross-sectional study, Survivors, Chest, Early detection, male, female, Patient, age, correlation, moderate, early stage, Healthcare professional, association, Interaction, PMA, functional capacity, muscle, body mass, Musculoskeletal, lower extremity, significant difference, significant differences, help, early stages, extension, survivor, variable, cross-sectional area, pectoralis, two-way ANOVA, IMPROVE, was measured, was used, collected, was performed, calculated, functional, determine, normalized, STS, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Chest, survivor,