The morphology of deep lumbar multifidus in patients with chronic low back pain / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the morphological changes of the deep lumbar multifidus (DM) during rest and movement among persons with chronic low back pain (cLBP) using ultrasound imaging.Methods:Twenty-one cLBP patients and 30 pain-free healthy controls were studied. The resting thickness of the DM muscle was measured, and then its cross-sectional area and thickness during maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). The results were correlated with pain intensity and duration.Results:The cLBP patients showed significant reductions in the DM′s resting thickness, and in its cross-sectional area and thickness during a MVIC compared with the healthy controls. The resting thickness of the DM was positively correlated with pain duration, but not with pain intensity.Conclusions:These results suggest that cLBP patients have atrophy and less thickness change during an MVIC. This should be considered in planning clinical rehabilitation training.