Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40528021›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025

A cross-sectional association study of paravertebral muscle quality and modic changes in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

Ningning Feng, Shuyin Tan, Sixue Chen, Ziye Qiu, Wenhao Li, Guozheng Jiang, Junji Yang, Xing Yu, Dingyan Zhao

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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, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ningning FengDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Shuyin TanDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Sixue ChenDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Ziye QiuDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Wenhao LiBeijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Guozheng JiangDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Junji YangDongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Xing Yu *Dongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. yuxingbucm@sina.com.
Dingyan Zhao *Dongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. zhaodingyan@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the association between paravertebral muscle quality and Modic changes (MCs) in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP).

methodsThe cases and imaging data of patients with CLBP who were treated in our hospital from December 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected. Patients were categorized into MCs group and non-MCs group according to the presence or absence of Modic changes in lumbar spine MRI. Based on lumbar MRI, the cross-sectional areas (CSA) of bilateral multifidus, erector spinae and psoas major muscles, fat infiltration rate (FIR) and lumbar indentation value (LIV) were measured in the L2-S1 segments of both groups of patients, respectively.

resultsThe VAS score of patients in the MCs group was significantly higher than that of patients in non-MCs group, and the degree of intervertebral disc degeneration was more severe than that of patients in non-MCs group (P < 0.05). At the L2-L3 and L3-L4 segments, the CSA of the bilateral erector spinae muscles in the MCs group was significantly smaller than that of patients in non-MCs group (P < 0.05). On the contrary, the FIR of paravertebral muscle was higher than that of patients in non-MCs group (P < 0.05). At the L4-L5 and L5-S1 segments, the CSA of bilateral erector spinae and multifus muscles in the MCs group were smaller than those in the non-MCs group, and the FIR was higher than that in the non-MCs group (P < 0.05). The LIV of the L4-L5 and L5-S1 segments in the MCs group were significantly lower than those in the non-MCs group (P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that there might be a association between low bilateral multifidus, erector spinae CSA and LIV, and high multifidus, erector spinae FIR and Modic changes.

conclusionOur research results indicate that there is a association between paravertebral muscle quality and Modic changes in patients with CNLBP. There may be an interaction between low bilateral multifidus, erector spinae CSA and LIV, high bilateral multifidus, erector spinae FIR and lumbar Modic changes.

Indexed as

Chronic PainLow Back PainParaspinal MusclesAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIntervertebral Disc DegenerationLumbar VertebraeMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesLow back painModic changesParavertebral muscle quality

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.