Computed tomography of the human skeletal muscular system.

A description of different levels of the normal adult human skeletal muscular system is given as derived by computed tomography (CT). A standard program is presented by which a maximum number of muscles which are affected by neuromuscular diseases can be examined with a minimum of radiation. Twenty-four patients of different ages, 12 males and 12 females, were examined. Descriptions of different levels of the skeletal muscular system, with measurements of cross-section and density of a number of important marker muscles are presented. Variations of these parameters with age, sex, and cerebral dominance are discussed. It is concluded that CT scans can greatly enhance our insight into the effects of neuromusclar diseases on normal and abnormal skeletal muscles.