Weak grip, weak anastomosis? Handgrip strength and sarcopenia as predictors of anastomotic leakage after colorectal cancer surgery

Figure 3 Box-and-whisker plots demonstrating the distribution of skeletal muscle index and handgrip strength according to anastomotic leakage status. A: Patients who developed anastomotic leakage (n = 103) exhibited significantly lower skeletal mass index (cm²/m²) values (P = 0.03) compared with those without anastomotic leakage (n = 14); B: Patients who developed anastomotic leakage (n = 103) exhibited reduced handgrip strength (kg; P < 0.001) compared with those without anastomotic leakage (n = 14). SMI: Skeletal mass index.