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Table 6 Muscle mass measurement locations and landmarks using ultrasound

From: Appendicular skeletal muscle mass assessment in dogs: a scoping literature review

Thoracic limb

Measured muscle

• Individual muscle: supraspinatus [65], infraspinatus [65]

• Grouped muscles: cubital flexors [65] and cubital extensors [65]

Pelvic limb: Thigh

Measured muscle

• Individual muscle: quadriceps femoris [64, 66], rectus femoris [9], biceps femoris [64], semitendinosus [64], semimembranosus [64]

• Grouped muscles: medial thigh muscles [9], lateral thigh muscles [9, 38], cranial thigh muscles (e.g., hip flexors) [38, 65], caudal thigh muscles (e.g., hip extensors) [65]

Measurement level

• Proximal 1/6 of the thigh length [64]

• Proximal 1/3 of the thigh length [9, 64]

• Mid-point of the thigh length [9, 38, 64, 66]

• Distal 1/3 of the thigh length [64]

• Distal 1/6 of the thigh length [64]

Proximal landmark

• Greater trochanter [9, 64, 66]

Distal landmark

• Base of the patella [9, 64]

• Lateral condyle of the femur [66]

  1. The exact measurement locations of supraspinatus, infraspinatus, caudal thigh muscles, cubital flexors and cubital extensors that Bullen et al. measured are unknown since the paper marked the skin with permanent ink over the regions of interest, not using specific anatomic landmarks [65]