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This magnified image of type 2 muscle fibers shows denervation atrophy occurring at the white spaces at the top left and bottom center of the image. The white space represents a disruption of the nerve fibers, resulting in a loss of nerve supply to the muscle fibers. Denervation is any loss of nerve supply regardless of
Muscle atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass. It can be caused by immobility, aging, malnutrition, medications, or a wide range of injuries or diseases that impact the musculoskeletal or nervous system. Muscle atrophy leads to muscle weakness and causes disability.
Neurological causes include radiculopathy, poliomyelitis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, spinal muscular atrophy. [2] In pseudohypertrophy where the atrophied muscle tissue has been infiltrated by fat tissue, upon palpitation the seemingly large muscles feel doughy. [3] Not all muscles infiltrated by fat or other tissue are pseudohypertrophic.
Prognosis depends on the individual form of muscular dystrophy. Some dystrophies cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle function, which may result in severe physical disability and a life-threatening deterioration of respiratory muscles or heart. Other dystrophies do not affect life expectancy and only cause relatively mild impairment. [2]
There are many proposed causes of sarcopenia and it is likely the result of multiple interacting factors. Understanding of the causes of sarcopenia is incomplete, however, changes in hormones, immobility, age-related muscle changes, nutrition, and neurodegenerative changes have all been recognized as potential causative factors.
The deterioration of locomotive components leads to symptoms such as pain, limitation in joint mobility, malalignment, balance disorder and gait abnormality. [5] Syndrome progression leads to reduced ability to perform activities of daily living independently and eventually results in decreased quality of life and necessity of nursing care.
Muscle weakness is a lack of muscle strength. Its causes are many and can be divided into conditions that have either true or perceived muscle weakness. True muscle weakness is a primary symptom of a variety of skeletal muscle diseases, including muscular dystrophy and inflammatory myopathy.
This meaning implies that the primary defect is within the muscle, as opposed to the nerves ("neuropathies" or "neurogenic" disorders) or elsewhere (e.g., the brain). This muscular defect typically results in myalgia (muscle pain), muscle weakness (reduced muscle force), or premature muscle fatigue (initially normal, but declining muscle force).