ArticleEuropean radiology experimental2022
A novel MRI index for paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration: reliability and relation to pain and disability in lumbar spinal stenosis: results from a multicentre study.
Article in European radiology experimental, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Elective Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation in Cirrhosis Improves Body Composition and Function: Pilot Randomized Trial.Cardiovascular and interventional radiology · 2026Trial
- Combined exercise and nutrition intervention for older women with spinal sarcopenia: an open-label single-arm trial.BMC geriatrics · 2023Trial
- PVMQ score: a novel imaging parameter for indicating lumbar degeneration and prognosis in patients with L4/5 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.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
- Exploring the role of frailty and sarcopenia in predicting postoperative regret and satisfaction following adult spinal deformity surgery.Spine deformity · 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
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms of fatty infiltration in paraspinal muscles in spine-specific sarcopenia.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026Review
- Paraspinal muscle MRI radiomics outperform disc radiomics for predicting poor disability improvement after L4/5 single-level lumbar surgery.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
- Article
- Should the pelvis be included? An analysis of distal junctional failure risk factors in correcting adult spinal deformity in women with fusion to L5.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
- Preoperative fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles assessed by MRI is associated with less improvement of leg pain 2 years after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.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
- Fat beyond muscle: Assessing epimuscular fat of the lumbar spine and its association with vertebral level, demographics, BMI, and low back pain.Brain & spine · 2024Article
- Predictive value of texture analysis on lumbar MRI in patients with 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 · 2023Observational
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 8 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles may play a role in pain and disability in lumbar spinal stenosis. We assessed the reliability and association with clinical symptoms of a method for assessing fatty infiltration, a simplified muscle fat index (MFI).
methodsPreoperative axial T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 243 patients aged 66.6 ± 8.5 years (mean ± standard deviation), 119 females (49%), with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis were assessed. Fatty infiltration was assessed using both the MFI and the Goutallier classification system (GCS). The MFI was calculated as the signal intensity of the psoas muscle divided by that of the multifidus and erector spinae. Observer reliability was assessed in 102 consecutive patients for three independent investigators by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) for continuous variables and Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC1) for categorical variables. Associations with patient-reported pain and disability were assessed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.
resultsInterobserver reliability was good for the MFI (ICC 0.79) and fair for the GCS (AC1 0.33). Intraobserver reliability was good or excellent for the MFI (ICC range 0.86-0.91) and moderate to almost perfect for the GCS (AC1 range 0.55-0.92). Mean interobserver differences of MFI measurements ranged from -0.09 to -0.04 (LoA -0.32 to 0.18). Adjusted for potential confounders, none of the disability or pain parameters was significantly associated with MFI or GCS.
conclusionThe proposed MFI demonstrated high observer reliability but was not associated with preoperative pain or disability.
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