Adductor pollicis muscle: Reference values of its thickness in a healthy population

SummaryBackground & aimsAdductor pollicis muscle is the only muscle which could be directly assessed, and its thickness could be useful in muscle mass assessment. Our objective is to determine values of adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT) in healthy subjects.MethodsAPMT was obtained using a skinfold caliper in 300 healthy subjects, grouped by age and gender, in dominant (DAPMT) and non-dominant (NDAPMT) sides. All patients were assessed by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). General characteristics of the subjects were obtained by a questionnaire.ResultsOne hundred and fifty men and one hundred and fifty women were evaluated. Their mean age was 44.9 ± 18.5 years and they were all well nourished. DAPMT mean values found in men were 26.1 ± 4.4 mm and in women, 19.8 ± 3.3 mm, respectively. NDAPMT mean values found in men and women were 25.1 ± 4.4 mm and 18.7 ± 3.1, respectively. Reference values for each gender and age group were created and values below the 5th percentile were considered as limit of normality.ConclusionsThis study presents APMT reference values from a healthy population. New studies may demonstrate its role in the evaluation of muscle mass and its association with nutritional status.