Lumbar multifidus muscle morphology is associated with low back-related pain duration, disability, and leg pain: A cross-sectional study in secondary care

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 6; p. e0285993
• Main Authors: Cooley, Jeffrey R, Kjaer, Per, Jensen, Tue S, Jacques, Angela, Theroux, Jean, Hebert, Jeffrey J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 02.06.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Back pain; Backache; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Clinical outcomes; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Leg; Longitudinal studies; Low back pain; Low Back Pain - epidemiology; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Medicine and Health Sciences; Morphology; Muscles; Pain; Paraspinal Muscles - diagnostic imaging; Patient outcomes; Physical Sciences; Physical workload; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Regression models; Research and Analysis Methods; Research ethics; Secondary Care; Signs and symptoms; Spine; Spine (lumbar); Statistical analysis; Stiffness; Workload; Denmark; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285993

Systematic reviews and studies exploring associations between morphologic change of paraspinal muscles and low back pain or related outcomes such as disability, radiculopathy, and physical workload, have reported conflicting results. This study explores the associations between lumbar multifidus muscle quality and clinical outcomes relating to low back pain. Cross-sectional study of spinal clinic outpatients presenting with a primary complaint of low back and/or leg symptoms. Univariable and multivariable regression models were used to investigate associations between MRI-based multifidus muscle cross-sectional area at L4 and L5 and clinical outcomes for low back pain, leg pain, disability, restricted motion, and strenuous nature of work. Results were reported with β-coefficients, odds ratios (OR), or incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals, based on a 10% difference in muscle quality for each clinical variable. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. 875 patients [487 females; mean (SD) age: 43.6 (10.2) years] were included. In the multivariable analyses, muscle quality was significantly associated with disability (0-23 scale) [β: -0.74, 95% CI: -1.14, -0.34], leg pain intensity (0-10 scale) [β: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.46, -0.03], and current pain duration of more than 12 months [OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.55]. No associations were found for low back pain intensity, morning stiffness, painful active range of motion, or work nature. Patients with higher lumbar multifidus muscle quality reported lower levels of low back pain-related disability and leg pain intensity, indicating that muscle quality may play a role in the etiology of lumbar spine disorders. However, the clinical importance of these associations is uncertain due to the low magnitude of identified associations. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the effect of lumbar multifidus muscle quality on lumbar-related pain and disability.