Method for three-dimensional analysis of skeletal muscle strain

Skeletal muscle weakness is frequently associated with stiffness changes [1,2], which may alter functional contraction and passive elongation dynamics. Cine Phase Contrast (CPC) MRI has been successfully used to quantify skeletal muscle strain distribution in a single plane [3,4]. The strain distribution was found to be non-uniform, indicating complex internal dynamics of skeletal muscle. The objective of this study was to advance CPC MRIbased analysis of muscle strain to three dimensions and to establish the output validity.