Paraspinal muscle morphology and composition
Paraspinal muscle [A&P: like the multifidus] atrophy, asymmetry, and fatty infiltration have been observed in relation to low back pain (LBP) problems, yet these associations have not been consistently found.
The purposes of this study were 1) to define the natural progression of age-related changes in paraspinal muscle over a 15-yr period during adulthood and 2) to investigate the influence of the lifestyle and individual factors (e.g., physical activity levels at work and leisure, body mass index, and LBP history).
In summary, the present 15-yr longitudinal study suggests that over time, the multifidus and erector spinae lumbar muscles have similar morphological changes, which include a decrease in size and muscle mass, and an increase in muscle fatty infiltration and asymmetry, which appeared greater in older individuals and at the L5–S1 level as compared with L3–L4. The level of physical activity at work and leisure and the LBP problems were not associated with the changes in paraspinal muscle morphology, but a significant correlation between BMI and the degree of multifidus and erector spinae muscle changes was identified. > From: Fortin et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 46 (2014) 893-901. All rights reserved to the American College of Sports Medicine. Click here for the Pubmed summary.
