A new possible marker: can pennation angle defined by ultrasound predict the frailty?

Background Frailty indicates older people who are vulnerable to stressors. The relation between ultrasonographic parameters of muscle and frailty among older people has yet to be investigated. Aims The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between frailty and the ultrasonographic measurements of the rectus femoris muscle (RFM). Methods This cross-sectional study included 301 participants who were ≥65 years. The FRAIL questionnaire assessed frailty. The thickness, cross-sectional area (CSA), fascicle length, pennation angle (PA), stiffness, and echogenicity of RFM were assessed by ultrasound. The accuracy of parameters in predicting the frailty was evaluated by ROC analysis. Results Of all 301 participants, 24.6% were frail. Pre-frail and frail participants had significantly lower thickness ( p = 0.002), CSA ( p = 0.009), and fascicle length ( p = 0.043) of RFM compared to robust. PA was significantly lowest in frails ( p