BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Fine-Needle Muscle Microbiopsy: A Feasible and Well-Tolerated Alternative for Skeletal Muscle Sampling
Johan Jakobsson 1,2
Karin Strigård 3
Apostolos Theos 4,2
Michael Svensson 5,2
Christer Malm 5,2
1. Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation. section for Sports Medicine; section for Physiotherapy, Umea universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Umeå, Sweden
2. School of Sport Science, Umea Universitet, Umeå, Sweden
3. Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Surgery, Umea universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Umeå, Sweden
4. Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation. section for Sports Medicine, Umea universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Umeå, Sweden
5. Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, section for Sports Medicine, Umea universitet Medicinska fakulteten, Umeå, Sweden
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Abstract
Background: Conventional muscle biopsy techniques, such as the Bergström method, require large tissue samples and skin incisions. Fine-needle muscle microbiopsy offers a minimally invasive alternative, but data on tolerability are lacking. We aimed to present a refined minimally-invasive muscle microbiopsy protocol using a 20-gauge needle with topical anaesthesia and compare perceived pain with routine venipuncture. Methods: Twenty-six healthy adults (50% female) underwent vastus lateralis microbiopsy using a 20-gauge needle (0.9 mm). Pain was assessed immediately after the microbiopsy and a venous blood draw using a 21-gauge needle, with the visual analogue scale (VAS). Procedures were randomized. Results: Ninety-five microbiopsies were successfully obtained. Mean pain scores were low for both procedures (microbiopsy: 1.0 ± 0.9; venipuncture: 1.4 ± 1.2) with no significant difference (P = 0.311). Most participants reported minimal or low discomfort (VAS ≤ 3) from the microbiopsy. Conclusion: Fine-needle muscle microbiopsy using a 20-gauge needle is well tolerated, with pain comparable to routine venipuncture. This approach substantially reduces invasiveness compared to traditional biopsies while providing adequate material for proteomic analysis. These findings support its ethical and practical application in sensitive populations and longitudinal research.
Summary
Keywords
fine-needle, Minimally invasive, Muscle biopsy, Proteomics, Skeletalmuscle, tolerability
Received
08 January 2026
Accepted
16 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Jakobsson, Strigård, Theos, Svensson and Malm. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Christer Malm
Disclaimer
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