Observational studySpine2020
Increased Fibrogenic Gene Expression in Multifidus Muscles of Patients With Chronic Versus Acute Lumbar Spine Pathology.
Observational study in Spine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04290221 (Comparing Effectiveness Two Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis), which is not on this map. Cited by 22 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparing Effectiveness Two Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI) Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain: Lumbar Nerve Root Stimulation vs Trigger Points Stimulation
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Altered myogenic and lipid metabolism gene expression in paraspinal muscles of patients with adult spinal deformity who develop proximal junctional failure.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 · 2026Article
- Relationship between facet joint osteoarthritis and multifidus fat infiltration in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Multifidus Dysfunction and Chronic Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Supporting Data for Accurate Diagnosis and Successful Treatment Outcomes Associated With Restorative Neurostimulation.International journal of spine surgery · 2025Article
- Fork in the road: therapeutic and pathological actions for fibro-adipogenic progenitors following musculoskeletal injury.The Journal of physiology · 2025Review
- The relationship between muscle mass and low back pain: a cross-sectional 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 · 2025Article
- 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
- Article
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals dysfunction of the paraspinal muscles in patients with chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2023Article
- Paraspinal muscle gene expression across different aetiologies in individuals undergoing surgery for lumbar spine pathology.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 · 2023Article
- Transcriptional time course after rotator cuff repair in 6 month old female rabbits.Frontiers in physiology · 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
- Spatial distribution of fat infiltration within the paraspinal muscles: implications for chronic low back pain.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
- Spatial transcriptomics tools allow for regional exploration of heterogeneous muscle pathology in the pre-clinical rabbit model of rotator cuff tear.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Article
- Paraspinal Muscle Health is Related to Fibrogenic, Adipogenic, and Myogenic Gene Expression in Patients with Lumbar Spine Pathology.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Article
- Identification of differentially expressed genes in mouse paraspinal muscle in response to microgravity.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Article
- An assessment of morphological and pathological changes in paravertebral muscle degeneration using imaging and histological analysis: a cross-sectional study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 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
- Article
- Regional differences between superficial and deep lumbar multifidus in patients with chronic lumbar spine pathology.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
STUDY
designProspective observational study-basic science (Level 1).
objectiveThe aim of this study was to compare expression of functional groups of genes within the atrophic, myogenic, fibrogenic, adipogenic, and inflammatory pathways between paraspinal muscle biopsies from individuals with acute and chronic lumbar spine pathology. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Low back pain is a complex and multifactorial condition that affects a majority of the general population annually. Changes in muscle tissue composition (i.e., fatty and fibrotic infiltration) are a common feature in individuals with lumbar spine pathology associated with low back pain, which often results in functional loss. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of these degenerative changes in different phases of disease progression may improve disease prevention and treatment specificity.
methodsIntraoperative biopsies of the multifidus muscle were obtained from individuals undergoing surgery for acute (<6-month duration) or chronic (>6-month duration) lumbar spine pathology. Expression of 42 genes related to myogenesis, atrophy, adipogenesis, metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis were measured in 33 samples (eight acute, 25 chronic) using qPCR, and tissue composition of fat, muscle, and fibrosis was quantified using histology.
resultsWe found that tissue composition of the biopsies was heterogeneous, resulting in a trend toward lower RNA yields in biopsies with higher proportions of fat (r <-0.39, P < 0.1). There were no significant differences in gene expression patterns for atrophy (P > 0.635), adipogenesis (P > 0.317), myogenesis (P > 0.320), or inflammatory (P > 0.413) genes after adjusting for the proportion of muscle, fat, and connective tissue. However, in the fibrogenesis pathway, we found significant upregulation of CTGF (P = 0.046), and trends for upregulation of COL1A1 (P = 0.061), and downregulation of MMP1 and MMP9 (P = 0.061) in the chronic group.
conclusionThere is increased fibrogenic gene expression in individuals with chronic disease when compared to acute disease, without significant differences in atrophic, myogenic, adipogenic, or inflammatory pathways, suggesting increased efforts should be made to prevent or reverse fibrogenesis to improve patient function in this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.