A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARASPINAL MUSCLE SIZE IN MRI AND CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

Abstract

A common musculoskeletal disorder linked to functional impairment and changes in lumbar muscle architecture is chronic low back pain (CLBP). This study investigated the relationship between functional impairment in individuals with CLBP and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the psoas major muscles, multifidus, and erector spinae as determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 36 patients participated in a prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Axial T2 weighted MRI at the L3 and L5 vertebral levels was used to quantify bilateral muscular CSA. Functional disability was considered using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Pearson's correlation analysis examined associations between muscle CSA, bilateral asymmetry, ODI scores, and body mass index (BMI). The average ODI raw score was 22.42 ± 6.58, and the average participant age was 42.39 ± 13.05 years. Psoas major CSA showed strong negative associations with BMI (r = −0.440, p = 0.007) and ODI (r = −0.520, p = 0.001). On the other hand, there were no statistically significant correlations between multifidus and erector spinae CSA and functional impairment. Additionally, there was no correlation between bilateral muscle asymmetry and ODI scores. These results imply that the psoas major CSA may be useful as an imaging-derived morphological indication because it is linked to increased functional impairment in CLBP patients. To determine its therapeutic and prognostic usefulness, larger longitudinal studies are necessary.