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Ann Geriatr Med Res > Volume 29(1); 2025 > Article |
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We are grateful to the researchers, clinicians, and participants who contributed to the studies referenced in this review. Their significant efforts have played a crucial role in enhancing our understanding of the relationship between muscle mass and muscle strength with bone density in older adult populations.
Study | Country/Type | Subject characteristics | Measurement tools | Result |
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Gandham et al.56) | Australia/Cross-sectional | n=74 older adults with body fat percentage (assessed by DXA) ≥30% (men) or ≥ 40% (women). | Bone density: aBMD by DXA | HGS was not significantly associated with total hip aBMD, femoral neck aBMD, and lumbar spine aBMD. |
Mean age: 67.7 years (men 28, women 46) | Muscle strength: HGS with a hydraulic dynamometer (Jamar Plus dynamometer; Patterson Medical, Bolingbrook, IL, USA) | ASMI was not correlated with BMD (r=0.12, p=0.32). | ||
Exclusion: Inability to walk 400 m unassisted (without the use of walking aids); inability to speak English, diagnosis of any progressive neurological disorders, severe knee or hip osteoarthritis (awaiting joint replacement), lung diseases requiring the use of oxygen, renal kidney disease requiring dialysis or any other disorder of severity that life expectancy was <12 months. | Muscle mass: DXA | |||
Nonaka et al.58) | Japan/Cross-sectional | n=214 older women (>60 years) with no cognitive impairment (MMSE score ≥24), and the ability to complete all measurements. | Bone density: DXA | Arm SMI, leg SMI, and appendicular SMI were significantly lower in the very low bone mass group compared to those of the low bone mass group (p=0.034, p=0.011, and p=0.009, respectively). |
Exclusion: Male sex; implanted with a cardiac pacemaker; and receiving treatment for osteoporosis. | Muscle strength: HGS with hand grip dynamometer (T.K.K.58401; Takei Scientific Instruments Co. Ltd., Niigata, Japan) and KES with hand-held dynamometer (µTas F-1; Anima Corp., Tokyo, Japan) | HGS and KES were not significantly different between the three groups (normal bone mass, low bone mass, and very low bone mass). | ||
Mean age: 72.6–75.5 years | Muscle mass: BIA (InBody 470; InBody Japan Inc., Tokyo, Japan). | |||
Kim et al.52) | Korea/Cohort | n=337 community-based older adults (>65 years) | Bone density: DXA | Men |
Mean age: 70.5–71.3 years (men 172, women 165) | Muscle strength: KES with the isokinetic device at an angular velocity of 60°/s (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA). | -Baseline BMDs for the lumbar spine, femur neck, and total hip did not show any significant relationships with baseline values of trunk muscle mass, ALM, leg lean mass, and leg strength. | ||
Muscle mass: ALM with DXA | -The annual percentage change in total hip BMD was significantly correlated with the baseline ALM and leg lean mass (r=0.195, p=0.013 with ALM, and r=0.205, p=0.009 with leg lean mass). | |||
-The rate of loss in total hip BMD was positively associated with the rate of loss in leg muscle strength (r=0.170, p=0.033). | ||||
Women | ||||
-Baseline BMD values at the lumbar spine, femur neck, and total hip showed significant positive associations with the baseline values of trunk lean mass, ALM, and leg lean mass. | ||||
-In associations with annual percentage changes in BMD, the rates of decline in ALM and leg lean mass showed significant positive relationships with annual percentage changes in total hip BMD (r=0.196, p=0.011 for ALM, and r=0.169, p=0.033 for leg lean mass). | ||||
-The loss rate in total hip BMD was positively associated with the rate of decline in leg muscle strength (r=0.24, p<0.001). | ||||
da Cruz Siqueira et al.53) | Brazil/Cross-sectional | n=10 older men | Bone density: DXA (Hologic model, QDR Discovery Wi) | 45º leg-press exercise strength is associated to left leg BMC (r=0.677; p=0.032; 95% CI 0.23–0.93) and right leg (r=0.714; p=0.020; 95% CI 0.38–0.92) |
Mean age: 63.3 years | Muscle strength: One Maximum RSEEtition Test | 45º leg-press strength is associated with torso BMC (r=0.810; p<0.01; 95% CI 0.56–0.96). | ||
Exclusion: Absence of comorbidity associated with metabolic and cardiac disturbances, and practicing resisted exercise regularly for at least 2 months | Muscle mass: Lean mass by DXA | No significant correlations were observed between BMC (whole-body or regional) and knee extensor exercise strength. | ||
Bench-press strength is related to left arm BMC (r=0.764; p=0.010; 95% CI 0.05–0.96) and right arm BMC (r=0.748; p=0.013; 95% CI -0.03–0.091) | ||||
Arm curl exercise strength is related to right arm BMC (r=0.688; p=0.028; 95% CI -0.21–0.95) and right arm BMC (r=0.856; p=0.002; 95% CI -0.50–0.98) and whole-body BMC (r=0.673; p=0.033; 95% CI 0.36–0.90). | ||||
There is a significant association between arm and leg lean mass with BMC (all r>0.7). | ||||
Singh et al.51) | Korea/Cross-sectional | n=60 community-dwelling older adults | Bone density: DXA (GE Lunar Prodigy, enCORE 2010 Software Version 13.31.016; GE Medical Systems, Madison, WI, USA) | Total hip and femoral neck BMD (r= 0.34, p<0.01), and (r=0.32, p<0.05) were positively correlated with leg press strength. |
Mean age: 63 years (men 27, women 33) | Muscle strength: One-repetition maximum (1RM) tests | No relationships between measures of bone density and hip abduction strength. | ||
Exclusion: Thyroid disorders; uncontrolled hypertension; metal in the body; any recent surgery within the previous 6 months; known prior fragility fracture within the previous 12 months; any tobacco use within the prior 10 years; body weight greater than 136 kg, which is the limit of the DXA; and on hormone replacement therapy or corticosteroids. | Muscle mass: ASM with DXA | Muscle mass was not related to any of the bone density. | ||
Ma et al.57) | China/Cross-sectional | n=1,168 older adults | Bone density: Quantitative ultrasound (OsteoPro UBD2002A; BMTech Worldwide Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea) | Lower grip strength was significantly more likely to suffer from osteoporosis (p=0.007). This result still holds after adjusting all covariates (p=0.023). |
Mean age: 66.9 years (men 516, women 652) | Muscle strength: HGS with a handheld dynamometer (DRIP-D; Takei Ltd., Niigata, Japan) | There was no association between ASMI and osteoporosis in the unadjusted group (p=0.843) and after adjustments of all covariates (p=0.205). | ||
Exclusion: Whose medical recording or histories showed diseases that may affect bone or calcium metabolism; who had a foot injury making the bone density test not feasible; and who were taking a drug that may interfere with bone or calcium metabolism (e.g., estrogen, calcitonin, diphosphonate). | Muscle mass: BIA (InBody 720; Biospace Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea) | |||
Kim et al.50) | Korea/Cross-sectional | n=2,479 older adults | Bone density: DXA (DISCOVERYW fanbeam densitometer; Hologic Inc., Marlborough, MA, USA) | ASMI was positively correlated with BMD in both men and women and adjusting for age and body fat still resulted in a positive correlation. |
Mean age: 71.9–74.2 years (men 1,308, women 1,171) | Muscle mass: DXA | |||
Alonso et al.54) | Brazil/Cross-sectional | n=87 older men in the Geriatrics Group at the Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo | Bone density: DXA (Lunar-DPX device; Lunar Corp., Madison, WI, USA) | Arm lean mass (r=0.58, p<0.001), leg lean mass (r=0.47, p<0.001), trunk lean mass (r=0.48, p<0.001), and total body lean mass (r=0.53, p<0.001) are significantly associated with BMD. |
Mean age: 68.5 years | Muscle mass: DXA | |||
Walowski et al.55) | Germany/Cross-sectional | n=117 older adults | Bone density: DXA (Hologic Discovery A (S/N 82686) Inc., Bedford, MA, USA) | Overall muscle mass and SMI were positively associated with bone parameters (for muscle mass in kg: BMC r=0.82, BMD r=0.63, T-score r=0.49, all p<0.001; and for SMI in kg/m2: BMC r=0.67, BMD r=0.55, T-score r=0.41, all p<0.001). |
Mean age: 70 years (men 46, women 71) | Muscle mass: whole-body MRI with a 1.5 T scanner (MAGNETOM Avanto; Siemens Medical Systems, Erlangen, Germany) | In women, muscle mass was only positively correlated with BMC (r=0.49, p<0.001) | ||
Exclusion: Edema, chronic diseases, heart failure, renal failure, paralysis (e.g. after a stroke), neurodegenerative diseases, tumors in treatment, amputation of limbs, electrical and metallic implants, current alcohol abuse, not removable piercings and large tattoos on the arms or legs (because of possible interference with MRI examinations) as well as medication which could influence body composition. | In men, muscle mass was associated with higher BMC, BMD, and T-score (BMC r=0.53, BMD r=0.37, T-score r=0.37, p<0.01 to p<0.001). | |||
Chua et al.59) | Malaysia/Cross-sectional | n=50 older women | Bone density: DXA | HGS and back extensor muscle strength have a significant association with lumbar bone density (r=0.22 and r=0.39). |
Mean age: 64 years | Muscle strength: HGS with a handheld dynamometer (Jamar, White Plains, NY, USA), Back extensor muscle strength with a load cell (LC501- 200/N sensor, Load cell, 200lb, 3MV/V; Newport Electronic Inc., Santa Ana, CA, US) | |||
Exclusion: Chronic back pain with a numerical rating pain score of more than 4, had prior spine surgery, history of fractures and dislocations of the spine, had any known underlying pathologies such as tumor, spinal infections, tuberculosis, and had any inflammatory joint disease which may affect walking speed and grip strength tests. |
DXA, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; HGS, handgrip strength; BMD, bone mineral densitometry; aBMD, areal bone mineral density; ASMI, appendicular skeletal mass index; MMSE, Mini-Mental state Examination; SMI, skeletal mass index; KES, knee extension strength; BIA, bioelectrical impedance analysis; ALM, appendicular lean mass; BMC, bone mineral content; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; CI, confidence interval.
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