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. 2025 Jul 28;14(15):5333.
doi: 10.3390/jcm14155333.

Computed Tomography-Derived Psoas Muscle Index as a Diagnostic Predictor of Early Complications Following Endovascular Aortic Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study from Two European Centers

Joanna Halman  1 , Jan-Willem Elshof  2 , Ksawery Bieniaszewski  3 , Leszek Bieniaszewski  4 , Natalia Zielińska  5 , Adam Wójcikiewicz  5 , Mateusz Dźwil  5 , Łukasz Znaniecki  1 , Radosław Targoński  6
Affiliations

Computed Tomography-Derived Psoas Muscle Index as a Diagnostic Predictor of Early Complications Following Endovascular Aortic Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study from Two European Centers

Joanna Halman et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background/Objective: Sarcopenia is a predictor of poor surgical outcomes in older adults. The Psoas Muscle Index (PMI), calculated from routine preoperative CT scans, has been proposed as an imaging-based marker of physiological reserve, but its diagnostic utility in vascular surgery remains unclear. We aimed to assess the predictive value of PMI for early complications following elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in two European centers. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 245 patients who underwent open or endovascular AAA repair between 2018 and 2022 in Poland and The Netherlands. PMI was measured at the level of third lumbar vertebrae (L3) level, normalized to height, and stratified into center-specific tertiles. Early complications were compared across tertiles, procedures, and centers. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for age, comorbidities, and procedure type. Results: Low PMI was significantly associated with early complications in EVAR patients at the Polish center (p = 0.004). No associations were found in open repair or at the Dutch center. Mean PMI values did not differ significantly between centers. Conclusions: PMI may serve as a context-dependent imaging biomarker for early risk stratification following AAA repair, particularly in endovascular cases. Its predictive value is influenced by institutional and procedural factors, highlighting the need for prospective validation and standardization before clinical adoption.

Keywords: Imagine Biomerkers; Psoas Muscle Index; Sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prisma flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Boxplot showing the distribution of Psoas Muscle Index (PMI) by procedure type and center. PMI was measured from preoperative CT at the L3 level and compared between Gdańsk and Venlo for both EVAR and OAR procedures. p-values from Mann–Whitney U tests. Exact numerical values, including group means, standard deviations, and sample sizes, are presented in the Supplementary Materials.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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