ArticlePloS one2024
Comparison of lumbar muscle morphology in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain with and without clinical lumbar segmental instability.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Paraspinal muscle quality in chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of muscle atrophy and fat infiltration.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 stabilization exercise with and without real-time ultrasound imaging biofeedback in chronic low back pain patients: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Spinal mobility and paraspinal muscle degeneration: a cross-sectional analysis from the Berlin Back 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 · 2026Article
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Segmentation of Soft Tissue in the Diagnosis of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Multidimensional Dysfunction in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Correlational Study of Key Clinical Measures.Pain research & management · 2026Article
- The influence of sarcopenia on clinical and radiological features in patients with single-segment degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis at L4/5 level.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
- Fatty infiltration in the multifidus predicts screw-loosening following short-segment decompression and fusion: proof of why we should protect and rehabilitate the paraspinal muscles.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
- Impact of Paravertebral Muscle Degeneration on Residual Low Back Pain Following Percutaneous Kyphoplasty for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures: A Retrospective Study.Patient related outcome measures · 2025Article
- Comparing mid-term outcomes and patient satisfaction between percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy and microendoscopic discectomy for foraminal and extraforaminal lumbar disc herniations: a retrospective matched cohort study.Frontiers in surgery · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesEvaluation of spinal muscle morphology may be critical because of its impact on segmental stability and control of the lumbar spine in the subset of patients with clinical lumbar segmental instability (LSI). The purpose of this study was to compare lumbar muscle morphology in CNLBP patients with clinical LSI, CNLBP patients without clinical LSI.
methodsThis case-control study included 30 patients with CNLBP (15 with clinical LSI and 15 without clinical LSI) and 15 subjects without LBP. Axial magnetic resonance images from the L2 to S1 lumbar levels were used to evaluate the morphology of the lumbar muscles.
resultsA significant increase in the muscle-to-fat infiltration index and a significant decrease in the relative muscle cross-sectional area (rmCSA) of the multifidus muscle at the L3-L4 to L5-S1 levels were observed in both CNLBP groups compared to the control group (p<0.05). The mean erector spinae mean rmCSA was significantly greater in the clinical LSI group compared to the control group (SMD = 0.853, 95% CI = 0.105 to -1.6, P = 0.044) and also compared to the CNLBP without clinical LSI (SMD = 0.894, 95% CI = -1.645 to -0.144, P = 0.030) at the L4-L5 level.
conclusionsThe atrophic changes of the multifidus muscle, in CNLBP patients with or without clinical LSI was observed. However, hypertrophic changes of the erector spinae muscle at the L4-L5 lumbar level were observed only in the clinical LSI group. Psaos major did not show significant atrophic or hypertrophic changes.
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