Abstract: Skeletal muscle is the foundation of human movement and also an important organ for energy storage.Measurement of the whole-body muscle mass is a common method for grading patients' nutritional status,while the measurement of specific local muscle groups is of great significance in surgical repair,preoperative and postoperative evaluation in patients with tissue defects.The measurement methods should be chosen according to different clinical purposes.In this paper,the common methods and their advantages,limitations and scope of application were all reviewed.

Key words: Skeletal muscle, Muscle mass, Cross section area, Measurement methods