(1) Background: The aim was to validate an AI-based system compared to the classic method of reading ultrasound images of the rectus femur (RF) muscle in a real cohort of patients with disease-related malnutrition. (2) Methods: One hundred adult patients with DRM aged 18 to 85 years were enrolled. The risk of DRM was assessed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM). The variation, reproducibility, and reliability of measurements for the RF subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), muscle thickness (MT), and cross-sectional area (CSA), were measured conventionally with the incorporated tools of a portable ultrasound imaging device (method A) and compared with the automated quantification of the ultrasound imaging system (method B). (3) Results: Measurements obtained using method A (i.e., conventionally) and method B (i.e., raw images analyzed by AI), showed similar values with no significant differences in absolute values and coefficients of variation, 58.39–57.68% for SFT, 30.50–28.36% for MT, and 36.50–36.91% for CSA, respectively. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for reliability and consistency analysis between methods A and B showed correlations of 0.912 and 95% CI [0.872–0.940] for SFT, 0.960 and 95% CI [0.941–0.973] for MT, and 0.995 and 95% CI [0.993–0.997] for CSA; the Bland–Altman Analysis shows that the spread of points is quite uniform around the bias lines with no evidence of strong bias for any variable. (4) Conclusions: The study demonstrated the consistency and reliability of this new automatic system based on machine learning and AI for the quantification of ultrasound imaging of the muscle architecture parameters of the rectus femoris muscle compared with the conventional method of measurement.

Critical surgical and medical advances have shifted the focus of congenital heart disease (CHD) patients from survival to achievement of a greater health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL is influenced, amongst other factors, by aerobic capacity and respiratory muscle strength, both of which are reduced in CHD patients. This study evaluates the influence of a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP) on respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity. Fifteen CHD patients, ages 12 to 16, with reduced aerobic capacity in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were enrolled in a CPRP involving strength and aerobic training for three months. Measurements for comparison were obtained at the start, end, and six months after the CPRP. A significant improvement of inspiratory muscle strength was evidenced (maximum inspiratory pressure 21 cm H₂O, 23%, p < 0.01). The six-minute walking test showed a statistically and clinically significant rise in walked distance (48 m, p < 0.01) and a reduction in muscle fatigue (1.7 out of 10 points, p = 0.017). These results suggest CPRP could potentially improve respiratory muscle function and functional capacity, with lasting results, in children with congenital heart disease, but additional clinical trials must be conducted to confirm this finding.

Critical medical and surgical advances have led to a shift in the care and management of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). These patients present with muscle deconditioning, which negatively influences their response to exercise, functional capacities, and quality of life. This study evaluates the influence of a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP) on the function of peripheral musculature of children with CHD. A single-center prospective cohort study was designed. Fifteen CHD subjects, between 12 and 16 years of age, with reduced aerobic capacity on a cardiopulmonary exercise test, were included in a three-month, 24-session CPRP. Measurements of the subjects’ handgrip strength, biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strength, and triceps surae fatigue process were collected at the beginning of the program, after completion, and six months after the end of the intervention. A substantial and statistically significant improvement was observed in the subjects’ handgrip strength (kg) (p < 0.001), biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strength (N) (p < 0.001), as well as triceps surae fatigue process (repetitions) (p = 0.018), with a maintenance of the results six months after the intervention. These results suggest that a CPRP could potentially improve the peripheral muscle function of children with CHD. Additional research is needed to confirm and expand on this hypothesis.