Knee extensor and knee flexor strength: cross sectional area ratios in young and elderly men

The relationships between isometric and isokinetic-concentric knee extensor and knee flexor strength, and quadriceps and hamstring cross-sectional area (CSA) were determined in young (n = 13, M = 24.5y) and elderly (n = 12, M = 70.7y) men. Quadriceps and hamstring CSA was determined by computed tomography. Knee extensor and flexor strength at 0°/s and 120 Is was determined on a Kin-Corn isokinetic dynamometer. Compared to the young men, elderly men had significantly smaller quadriceps muscles and were weaker (22-32%) in knee flexion and knee extension at both angular velocities. Strength:CSA ratios were similar at 0°ls, but elderly men had decreased ratios for both extensors and flexors at 120°/s. Correlations of knee extensor and flexor strength with muscle CSA were significant at both velocities in elderly men, but not at either velocity for the knee flexors in young men. The decrease in isometric strength in elderly men can be accounted for by their decrease in muscle CSA, but their decrease in isokinetic-concentric strength was greater than their loss of CSA. Further study is required to determine the reason for this nonproportional loss of isokinetic-concentric strength. THE loss of strength associated with aging is well docu-mented (1,2,3). Furthermore, the knee extensors and knee flexors of the lower limb appear to be particularly affected by muscle fiber atrophy and consequent loss of strength (4,5). This atrophy may be further localized to th