Measuring Quadrupolar Splittings in Human Lower Leg and Forearm Muscle after Deuterium Oxide Loading

Motivation: Although it is known that deuterium (2H) quadrupolar splittings arise in muscle, it is not clear to what extent they can be used to characterise tissues. Goal(s): To investigate quadrupolar splittings by measuring angular dependence and double-quantum-filtered signals, and to determine whether splittings were related to specific muscles. Approach: Deuterium oxide loading was used to increase the 2H signals. The angular dependence of the splitting was measured in the forearm and DQF spectra were acquired on forearm and lower leg muscles. Results: Evidence was obtained for quadrupolar splittings which were shown to depend on angle and muscle group, and exhibited DQF spectra. Impact: Deuterium quadrupolar splittings have the potential to characterise muscle fibres in vivo. Understanding the origin of the splittings, and factors affecting their magnitude, could lead to new or complementary methods in musculoskeletal or physiological investigations.