Muscle Biopsy in Boulder, CO

If you have frequent muscle pain or weakness, there might be a bigger underlying problem. Alpine Surgical can help diagnose it with muscle biopsy in Boulder, CO. Read on to learn more about muscle biopsy and why you may need it.

Diagnostic Procedure for Muscle Disorders

One method for diagnosing disorders affecting muscular tissue is a muscle biopsy. A tiny sample of a particular muscle will be removed by your healthcare professional so that it may be examined under a microscope.

Our healthcare professional inserts a biopsy needle into your muscle to get a tissue sample. Our doctor may then do an open biopsy, which involves making an incision in your skin to remove a larger portion of muscle, if a larger sample is needed.

The location of your symptoms, including weakness or soreness, will determine which muscle is chosen for your biopsy. The quadriceps (thigh muscle), deltoid (shoulder muscle), and bicep (upper arm muscle) are frequently used for sampling.

Common Reasons for Muscle Biopsy

You might require a muscle biopsy to check for anomalies in your musculoskeletal system. Muscle discomfort or weakness can result from a variety of illnesses. These disorders could be associated with issues with your musculoskeletal system, connective tissue, circulatory system, or nervous system.

A muscle biopsy helps identify the origin of the illness process, which helps ensure that you receive the proper treatment.

Our surgeon may do a muscle biopsy to identify neuromuscular diseases, infections that impact your muscles, and other anomalies in your muscle tissue. Some of the reasons why you may need a biopsy are the following:

• Muscular dystrophy (MD) – A general word for a hereditary (inherited) muscular condition. MD impacts skeletal muscles and other organ systems. Over time, fatty deposits take the place of the muscles as they decompose.

• Myasthenia Gravis (MG) – An autoimmune disease wherein antibodies kill neuromuscular connections.

• Dermatomyositis – An inflammation of the skin, muscles, and tissues that leads to weak muscles.

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – A disease that attacks the nerves that affect voluntary muscle movement, which can lead to paralysis. It is also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Muscle Biopsy at Alpine Surgical

Muscle biopsy can be done either as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. Although a muscle biopsy normally takes 10 minutes or less, the full procedure—including recovery, local anesthetic, and preparation—can take up to an hour. Results from the lab may take a few days or even weeks to arrive, depending on the circumstances.
For muscle biopsy in Boulder, CO, schedule an appointment with one of our surgeons, Dr. Fox or Dr. Beckley.