ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2022
Correlation between the fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and disc degeneration and the underlying mechanism.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Structural changes of the multifidus in animal models of intervertebral disk degeneration: a systematic review.Frontiers in surgery · 2024Pooled it
- The effect of lumbar stabilization and stretching exercises on pain, disability, and characteristics of the lumbar paraspinal muscles in chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Trial
- Fusion Assessment, Reoperation Rates, and Imaging Modality Agreement after Four-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Impact of Paraspinal Muscle Characteristics on the Risk of Symptomatic Epidural Hematoma Following Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Article
- Diagnostic Perspectives on the Relationship Between Paraspinal Muscles and Bone Mineral Density: A Narrative Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Segmentation of Soft Tissue in the Diagnosis of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Cervical Multifidus Fatty Degeneration and Bony Foraminal Stenosis Are Associated with Unsuccessful Response to Stellate Ganglion Block in Cervical Radicular Pain: A Retrospective Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Clinical significance and future applications of standardized imaging parameters for assessing paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration in lumbar degenerative disease: a narrative review.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Review
- Correlation analysis between morphological changes of lumbar core muscles and stages of femoral head necrosis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Relationship between facet joint osteoarthritis and multifidus fat infiltration in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The association of lumbar paraspinal muscle size and quality with physical function, disability, and pain in adults with chronic low back pain.JOSPT open · 2026Article
- Radiographic Sagittal Alignment and Kinetic Chain Alterations in Geriatric Patients With Scoliosis: A Case Series.Cureus · 2026Article
- A Proposed Diagnostic and Treatment Algorithm for the Management of Lumbar Discogenic Pain [Letter].Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Association between lumbar disc degeneration at L4-L5 level and atrophy of paraspinal muscles and gluteus medius: a cross-sectional study using 3T quantitative magnetic resonance imaging.BMC medical imaging · 2025Article
- Fork in the road: therapeutic and pathological actions for fibro-adipogenic progenitors following musculoskeletal injury.The Journal of physiology · 2025Review
- Incidence and risk factors of poor prognosis in patients with OVCF following day surgery of percutaneous kyphoplasty: a retrospective study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Age- and sex-related differences in lumbar disc degeneration and multifidus muscle atrophy: a retrospective MRI study of 238 patients with chronic low back pain.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Innovative Compact Vibrational System with Custom GUI for Modulating Trunk Proprioception Using Individualized Vibration Parameters.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Attenuation of Lumbar Epaxial Musculature in Dogs with Spinal Pathology.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLow back pain (LBP) is associated with lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) and fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles. However, there are some controversies about the relationship between LDD and fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles, and the causation of them is also not clear. Thus, we investigated whether the degree of LDD was associated with fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles and preliminarily explored the underlying mechanism.
methodsA retrospective study was conducted on 109 patients with chronic LBP. The degree of LDD was assessed by the Pfirrmann classification. Total muscle cross-sectional area, L4 vertebral body endplate area, and fat cross-sectional area at axial T2-weighted MRI were measured. Multifidus and lumbar disc specimens were taken from eight individuals undergoing discectomy for disc herniation. Gene and protein expression levels of TNF were quantified through qPCR assays and ELISA, respectively.
resultsThe relative cross-sectional area, total muscle cross-sectional area, and muscle cross-sectional area asymmetry were not related to LDD. Pfirrmann grades correlated strongly with fatty infiltration of the multifidus and moderately with fatty infiltration of the erector spinae and the psoas muscles. Linear regression analysis suggested that Pfirrmann grades were most associated with fatty infiltration of the multifidus. Compared with II-degree degeneration discs (mild-degeneration group), fatty infiltration of the multifidus in IV-degree degeneration discs (severe-degeneration group) significantly increased, accompanied by increased mRNA expression of TNF. Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of TNF (pg/g protein) in discs (16.62 ± 4.33) and multifidus (13.10 ± 2.76) of the severe-degeneration group were higher than those in the mild-degeneration group (disc: 9.75 ± 2.18; multifidus: 7.84 ± 2.43). However, the mRNA expression of TNF in the multifidus was not significantly different between the two groups.
conclusionsThe results suggest that LDD is associated with fatty infiltration of the multifidus. The possible underlying mechanism is that LDD induces fatty infiltration by inflammation. Furthermore, compared with the erector spinae and the psoas muscles, fatty infiltration of the multifidus shows an optimal correlation with LDD, which may contribute to further understanding of LDD pathology.
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