Multifidus Degeneration, A New Risk Factor for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Case–Control Study

• Published in: World neurosurgery Vol. 99; pp. 226 - 231
• Main Authors: Jiang, Jiayao, Wang, Haibin, Wang, Liang, Zhang, Bangke, Guo, Qunfeng, Yuan, Wen, Lu, Xuhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Bilateral asymmetry; Causality; China - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis; Fatty infiltration ratio; Female; Humans; Incidence; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Multifidus degeneration; Muscular Atrophy - diagnostic imaging; Muscular Atrophy - epidemiology; Muscular Atrophy - prevention & control; Muscularity; Neurosurgery; Paraspinal Muscles - diagnostic imaging; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spinal Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Stenosis - epidemiology; Spinal Stenosis - surgery; Treatment Outcome; LM; Multifidus degeneration; MRI; Fatty infiltration ratio; Bilateral asymmetry; VB; LSS; Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis; FIR; CSA; Muscularity; MA; BMI; magnetic resonance imaging; body mass index; vertebral body; T1WI; lumbar muscularity; muscle asymmetry; T1-weighted images; lumbar spinal stenosis; T2WI; fatty infiltration ratio; cross sectional area; T2-weighted images
• ISSN: 1878-8750; 1878-8769
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2016.11.142

To analyze whether multifidus degeneration has a relationship with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Clinical data of 40 patients with LSS were analyzed retrospectively. Moreover, 40 healthy people were selected as controls. Subjects of both groups underwent a 1.5-T lumbar spinal magnetic resonance imaging scan in our hospital, and then the multifidus muscularity, fatty infiltration ratio, and bilateral asymmetry at L4/5 level on magnetic resonance imaging were measured with ImageJ software to analyze and compare the multifidus parameters between the 2 groups. Compared with the control group, the multifidus muscularity was lower, fatty infiltration ratio was greater, and muscle asymmetry was more significant at the L4/5 level in patients with LSS, and the difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant. Multifidus degeneration, including reduced volume, increased fatty infiltration, and bilateral muscle asymmetry, has an association with LSS.