ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2023
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is associated with muscle area asymmetries in the lumbar spine.
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, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Extent of fatty infiltration in lumbar paraspinal muscles in adults with degenerative scoliosis: segmental differences in muscle involvement.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 · 2026Pooled it
- Lumbar Muscle Morphology Correlates With Early Surgical Outcomes in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Pilot Study.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Asymmetry of muscle changes is most pronounced at the apex of degenerative lumbar scoliosis: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of older adults.Spine deformity · 2026Article
- Lumbar muscle morphology and composition in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a magnetic resonance study.Spine deformity · 2026Article
- CT-Derived Paraspinal Muscle Asymmetry Is Associated with Deformity Severity in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Quantitative CT Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Unilateral lumbar paraspinal muscle degeneration is not sufficient to drive spinal deformity in mice.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
- Identifying functional movement deficits in mild to moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Application of high-frequency musculoskeletal ultrasound combined with shear wave elastography in assessing paravertebral muscle morphology in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.American journal of translational research · 2026Article
- Body composition analysis in adolescents idiopathic scoliosis and its correlation with the severity of scoliosis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Review
- 2D and 3D Classification Systems for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Clinical Implications and Technological Advances.Orthopaedic surgery · 2025Review
- Characterization of SMA type II skeletal muscle from treated patients shows OXPHOS deficiency and denervation.JCI insight · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeWhile the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains unclear, it is assumed that muscular asymmetries contribute to curve progression. As previous studies have found asymmetries of the thoracic paraspinal muscles in AIS patients, our study's aim was to analyze differences in the erector spinae, multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and psoas muscles of the lumbar spine depending on the curve's radiographic characteristics.
methodsWe retrospectively included all patients who received posterior reposition spondylodesis for AIS treatment at our institution. Patients were classified according to the Lenke classification. Muscle cross-sectional areas were obtained from magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine. Data were analyzed with the Wilcoxon rank sum test, the Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc testing, or the Spearman's correlation coefficient.
resultsSeventy-four (14 males and 60 females) AIS patients with a median age of 16 (IQR ± 4) years and a mean Cobb angle of 56.0° (± 18.0°) were included. In curve types Lenke 1 and 2 (n = 45), the erector spinae (p < 0.001) and multifidus (p < 0.001) muscles had a significantly larger cross-sectional area on the convex side, whereas the quadratus lumborum (p = 0.034) and psoas (p < 0.001) muscles each had a significantly larger cross-sectional area on the lumbar contralateral side.
conclusionOur results show an asymmetry of the lumbar spine's muscles which depends on both the convexity and the extent of the scoliotic curve. While our results cannot prove whether these differences are the deformity's cause or effect, they may contribute to a better understanding of AIS pathogenesis and may allow for more specific preoperative physiotherapy.
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