Assessing the Relationship Between Frailty and Skeletal Muscle Thickness in Critically Ill Patients

Assessment of muscle mass in critically ill patients is critical for both improving clinical outcomes and monitoring the effectiveness of nutritional interventions. Loss of muscle mass is associated with mortality and morbidity in the elderly, including organ transplantation, trauma, and sepsis. Previous studies have assessed muscle mass using computed tomography. The use of computed tomography is costly, carries radiation risks, and requires the patient to be transported to a CT scanner. In contrast, ultrasonography is a noninvasive, rapid, and bedside method without radiation exposure. In particular, anterior thigh muscle thickness (ATMT) stands out as a reliable biomarker in the assessment of muscle mass. ATMT measurement includes the assessment of the combined depth of the vastus intermedius and rectus femoris muscles in the anterior thigh. There is no study in the literature examining the effects of anterior thigh muscle thickness measured by ultrasonography on malnutrition and frailty in intensive care patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of anterior thigh muscle thickness on frailty, malnutrition and length of stay in intensive care patients.

NCT Number	NCT07310667
Lead Sponsor	Ankara Training and Research Hospital
Conditions	Fraility, Nutrition Assessment, Ultrasound Evaluation, Critical Illness
Enrollment	80 participants
Start Date	2025-05-02
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-05-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-19