ArticlePloS one2023
Lumbar multifidus muscle morphology is associated with low back-related pain duration, disability, and leg pain: A cross-sectional study in secondary care.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation on Multifidus Muscle Function in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025Trial
- Psoas Compartment Block Versus Medial Branch Block for Low Back Pain: A Narrative Review of Anatomical Targets, Clinical Evidence, and Patient Selection.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- 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
- Prevalence, patterns, and associated factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among intensive care unit and emergency room nurses in Palestine: a multicenter cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Explainable Machine Learning Applied to Bioelectrical Impedance for Low Back Pain: Classification and Pain-Score Prediction.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Quality of lumbar paraspinal muscles in patients with chronic low back pain and its relationship to pain duration, pain intensity, and quality of life.European radiology · 2025Article
- An Algorithmic Overview of Advanced Pain Therapies: A Narrative Review.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSystematic reviews and studies exploring associations between morphologic change of paraspinal muscles and low back pain or related outcomes such as disability, radiculopathy, and physical workload, have reported conflicting results. This study explores the associations between lumbar multifidus muscle quality and clinical outcomes relating to low back pain.
methodsCross-sectional study of spinal clinic outpatients presenting with a primary complaint of low back and/or leg symptoms. Univariable and multivariable regression models were used to investigate associations between MRI-based multifidus muscle cross-sectional area at L4 and L5 and clinical outcomes for low back pain, leg pain, disability, restricted motion, and strenuous nature of work. Results were reported with β-coefficients, odds ratios (OR), or incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals, based on a 10% difference in muscle quality for each clinical variable. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and BMI.
results875 patients [487 females; mean (SD) age: 43.6 (10.2) years] were included. In the multivariable analyses, muscle quality was significantly associated with disability (0-23 scale) [β: -0.74, 95% CI: -1.14, -0.34], leg pain intensity (0-10 scale) [β: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.46, -0.03], and current pain duration of more than 12 months [OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.55]. No associations were found for low back pain intensity, morning stiffness, painful active range of motion, or work nature.
conclusionsPatients with higher lumbar multifidus muscle quality reported lower levels of low back pain-related disability and leg pain intensity, indicating that muscle quality may play a role in the etiology of lumbar spine disorders. However, the clinical importance of these associations is uncertain due to the low magnitude of identified associations. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the effect of lumbar multifidus muscle quality on lumbar-related pain and disability.
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