ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2019
ISSLS Prize in Basic science 2019: Physical activity attenuates fibrotic alterations to the multifidus muscle associated with intervertebral disc degeneration.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical efficacy of exercise therapy for lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- The association between changes in multifidus muscle morphology and back pain scores following discectomy surgery for lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2022Pooled it
- Article
- Real-world two-year durability of restorative neurostimulation for treatment of multifidus dysfunction in patients with chronic low back pain: an observational German cohort study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Observational
- ISSLS Prize in Basic Science 2025: Structural changes of muscle spindles in the multifidus muscle after intervertebral disk injury are resolved by targeted activation of the muscle.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Article
- Exercise improves load bearing bone structural properties in female secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) null mice but not in males.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2024Article
- Should cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia be considered for preventing and managing chronic pain?Sleep · 2024Article
- Development of the Sensory-Motor Dysfunction Questionnaire and Pilot Reliability Testing.Brain sciences · 2024Article
- Targeted multifidus muscle activation reduces fibrosis of multifidus muscle following intervertebral disc injury.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Article
- Links among MRI features in paraspinal muscles, inflammatory processes, and related back pain in patients with lumbar disc herniation.JOR spine · 2024Article
- International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Statement: Restorative Neurostimulation for Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain Resulting From Neuromuscular Instability.International journal of spine surgery · 2023Article
- Glycerol induced paraspinal muscle degeneration leads to hyper-kyphotic spinal deformity in wild-type mice.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Correlation between inflammatory cytokine expression in paraspinal tissues and severity of disc degeneration in individuals with lumbar disc herniation.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- The relationship between the degeneration and asymmetry of the lumbar multifidus and erector spinae muscles in patients with lumbar disc herniation with and without root compression.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Article
- Muscle spindles of the multifidus muscle undergo structural change after intervertebral disc degeneration.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2022Article
- Paraspinal Muscle Health is Related to Fibrogenic, Adipogenic, and Myogenic Gene Expression in Patients with Lumbar Spine Pathology.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Article
- Paraspinal muscle imaging measurements for common spinal disorders: review and consensus-based recommendations from the ISSLS degenerative spinal phenotypes group.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2021Review
- Factors associated with paravertebral muscle cross-sectional area in patients with chronic low back pain.The Korean journal of pain · 2021Article
- Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders.JOR spine · 2021Review
- Does the Interaction between Local and Systemic Inflammation Provide a Link from Psychology and Lifestyle to Tissue Health in Musculoskeletal Conditions?International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeChronic low back pain causes structural remodelling and inflammation in the multifidus muscle. Collagen expression is increased in the multifidus of humans with lumbar disc degeneration. However, the extent and mechanisms underlying the increased fibrotic activity in the multifidus are unknown. Physical activity reduces local inflammation that precedes multifidus fibrosis during intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), but its effect on amelioration of fibrosis is unknown. This study aimed to assess the development of fibrosis and its underlying genetic network during IDD and the impact of physical activity.
methodsWild-type and SPARC-null mice were either sedentary or housed with a running wheel, to allow voluntary physical activity. At 12 months of age, IDD was assessed with MRI, and multifidus muscle samples were harvested from L2 to L6. In SPARC-null mice, the L1/2 and L3/4 discs had low and high levels of IDD, respectively. Thus, multifidus samples from L2 and L4 were allocated to low- and high-IDD groups compared to assess the effects of IDD and physical activity on connective tissue and fibrotic genes.
resultsHigh IDD was associated with greater connective tissue thickness and dysregulation of collagen-III, fibronectin, CTGF, substance P, TIMP1 and TIMP2 in the multifidus muscle. Physical activity attenuated the IDD-dependent increased connective tissue thickness and reduced the expression of collagen-I, fibronectin, CTGF, substance P, MMP2 and TIMP2 in SPARC-null animals and wild-type mice. Collagen-III and TIMP1 were only reduced in wild-type animals.
conclusionsThese data reveal the fibrotic networks that promote fibrosis in the multifidus muscle during chronic IDD. Furthermore, physical activity is shown to reduce fibrosis and regulate the fibrotic gene network. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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