Impact of quality as well as quantity of skeletal muscle on outcomes after liver transplantation

Intramuscular fat accumulation has come to be associated with loss of muscle strength and function, one of the components of sarcopenia. However, the impact of preoperative quality of skeletal muscle on outcomes after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is unclear. The present study evaluated the intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) and psoas muscle mass index (PMI) in 200 adult patients undergoing LDLT at our institution between January 2008 and October 2013. Correlations of IMAC with other factors, overall survival rates in patients classified according to IMAC or PMI, and risk factors for poor survival after LDLT were analyzed. IMAC was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.229, P = 0.03) and PMI (r = −0.236, P = 0.02) in males and with age (r = 0.349, P