. 2012 Aug 17;68(3):317–323. doi: 10.1093/gerona/gls168

Table 2.

Mean ± SD Muscle Attenuation (HU) and Average Age and Sex Differences for Each Muscle Examined at Vertebral Levels T8 and L3 by Age–Sex Groups

Muscle

Men

Women

Age Diff.

Sex Diff.

Younger

Older

Younger

Older

Pectoralis major

44.1±9.8

32.1±10.3

31.2±10.4

15.7±7.2

13.8^*

14.7^†

Serratus anterior

46.6±7.8

35.1±9.7

36.8±8.5

21.7±9.4

13.3^*

11.6^†

Latissimus dorsi

41.7±7.1

30.8±12.0

37.1±8.9

22.1±9.9

12.9^*

6.6^†

Trapezius

52.3±6.4

40.5±8.0

43.5±7.2

33.6±6.7

10.8^*

7.9^†

Erector spinae

51.0±6.7

31.8±13.9

41.7±9.5

29.0±11.5

15.9^*

6.0^†

Transversospinalis

50.0±12.1

27.7±13.7

42.6±10.5

17.8±13.9

23.5^*

8.6^†

Rectus abdominis

38.1±12.3

15.8±10.2

33.7±12.9

6.7±13.0

24.6^*

6.7

Latissimus dorsi

34.4±5.7

17.7±17.2

22.2±13.6

10.0±12.8

14.5^*

9.9^†

External oblique

39.1±7.4

19.7±13.3

38.8±8.7

23.0±9.8

17.6^*

−1.5

Internal oblique

48.2±5.2

39.6±9.6

44.6±7.2

33.2±8.7

10.0^*

5.0^†

Erector spinae

50.3±4.9

30.8±11.9

45.8±4.1

23.5±14.7

20.9^*

5.9^†

Transversospinalis

51.6±6.3

28.8±12.0

45.3±6.4

19.4±13.5

24.4^*

7.9^†

Psoas major

51.3±4.4

42.3±6.4

48.0±4.2

42.2±6.3

7.4^*

1.7

Quadratus   lumborum

46.9±4.3

33.6±10.0

41.0±3.9

28.9±9.5

12.7^*

5.3^†

*Significant age difference (p < .05) in individual muscle analysis.

†Significant sex difference (p < .05).