ArticleSpine2026
Lumbar Multifidus Intramuscular Fat Concentrations are Associated With Recovery Following Decompressive Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Longitudinal Cohort Study With Five-Year Follow-Up.
Article in Spine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- 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
- Association between multifidus fatty infiltration and lumbar facet degeneration in unilateral disc herniation: a retrospective study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Association of glucose metabolism status and paraspinal muscle degeneration with chronic pain after endoscopic lumbar decompression: a multicentre retrospective study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Impact of nutritional status and abnormal bone-muscle metabolism on chronic low back pain after lumbar decompression surgery: a multicenter predictive model study based on paraspinal muscle parameters.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Artificial intelligence-driven assessment of sarcopenia in orthopedic geriatrics: technical progress and clinical implications.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Three-dimensional spatial distribution of lumbar paraspinal intramuscular fat revealed by spatial parametric mapping.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
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
STUDY
designLongitudinal cohort study.
objectiveTo explore the association between preoperative lumbar paraspinal intramuscular fat (IMF) and recovery over a five-year period following surgical decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS)-related intermittent neurogenic claudication. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The literature is inconclusive whether higher IMF concentrations on MRI are related to unfavorable outcomes following lumbar decompressive surgery for intermittent neurogenic claudication due to LSS. MATERIALS AND
methodsPatients (N=149) with LSS-related intermittent neurogenic claudication [52% male; mean (SD) age: 65.5 (9.1) yr; BMI: 27.9 (4.3)] were included for this study. Preoperative lumbar paraspinal IMF was quantified and categorized as nonsevere (<50%) and severe (≥50%) IMF for each muscle (left and right lumbar multifidus and erector spinae) from axial T 2 -weighted MRI scans using automated computer-vision models. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between IMF and global perceived effect as well as surgical success. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the difference in the clinical course of leg and back pain and disability between the IMF groups. The models were corrected for potential confounders.
resultsOverall, participants with nonsevere IMF in the lumbar multifidus reported a higher percentage of successful recovery (53.7% vs. 37.5%) and surgical success (76.5% vs . 59.9%) compared with the severe IMF group. This association was not present for erector spinae IMF. After adjusting for the potential confounders, the associations between lumbar multifidus IMF and successful recovery and surgical success remained significant for most timepoints across the five-year follow-up (odds ratios: 2.26-7.32, P ≤0.049). Patients with nonsevere IMF in the right lumbar multifidus experienced less disability ( P =0.035). No between-group differences were found for the clinical course of leg and back pain ( P ≥0.143).
conclusionsPreoperative levels of IMF in the lumbar multifidus, but not the erector spinae, were associated with five-year recovery and success following surgery for LSS-related intermittent neurogenic claudication.
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