Jose A. Arias , Susana Garcia , Maria L. Cuadrado , Carlos Pardo , Gregoria Lapena , Jose L
99mTc hexakis-2-methoxyisobutyl-isonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) has been seldom used as a skeletal muscle tracer, and exercise changesof radionuclide uptake in different muscle groups have not been explored. The image pattern of 99mTc-MIBI uptake in the lower extremitieswas studied in 15 subjects (14 men, one woman; mean age: 59.9 ± 12.6 years) with no evidence of muscle or peripheral vascular disease,both at rest and during treadmill exercise. Several muscles could be identified in the scanned regions. No association was found betweenthe intensity of uptake and some cardiovascular and metabolic parameters, but as a whole exercise increased radionuclide uptake in thecalves. 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphic imaging might be a useful technique to assess the functional anatomy of lower limb muscles.
