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TL;DR
This retrospective cohort study found that muscle quality (myosteatosis), measured by CT muscle density before liver transplantation, was strongly associated with post-transplant survival, while pre-transplant muscle mass was not.
Scientific Reports · 11 authors, 4 centres
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This retrospective cohort study found that muscle quality (myosteatosis), measured by CT muscle density before liver transplantation, was strongly associated with post-transplant survival, while pre-transplant muscle mass was not.
This retrospective cohort study analyzed CT-derived muscle parameters in 152 liver transplant recipients. Pre-transplant, 93 patients (61%) had sarcopenia. Follow-up CT scans at a median of 11 months (n=50) and 56 months (n=52) post-transplant showed a significant decrease in both muscle mass and muscle density. Myosteatosis (low muscle density) was significantly associated with higher post-transplant mortality (p=0.001), with survival probabilities of 72% vs. 95% at 3 months, 63% vs. 90% at 1 year, and 54% vs. 84% at 5 years for patients with vs. without myosteatosis. In contrast, pre-transplant muscle mass (SMI) was not associated with survival. The study concludes that muscle quality does not improve after transplantation and is a prognostic factor for survival, especially in the early post-transplant period. Limitations include the retrospective design, a reduced number of patients with follow-up scans, and the absence of physical performance data to assess sarcopenia severity.