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Skeletal Radiology

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01-07-2018 | Scientific Article

Is a single-level measurement of paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and cross-sectional area representative of the entire lumbar spine?

Authors: Julio Urrutia, Pablo Besa, Daniel Lobos, Marcelo Andia, Cristobal Arrieta, Sergio Uribe

Published in: Skeletal Radiology | Issue 7/2018

Abstract

Purpose

Lumbar paraspinal muscle morphology has recently been evaluated in several studies with conflicting results. Several studies have performed single-slice evaluations of paraspinal muscle morphology, whereas other studies have done a multi-level assessment; this methodological difference might explain the observed different results. Our study evaluated if a single-slice axial measurement is representative of the entire lumbar musculature.

Methods

We included 80 adult patients who were consecutively evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for spinal symptoms. Using T2-weighted axial images, we measured the fat signal fractions (FSF) and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the erector spinae and multifidus at the five levels of the lumbar spine (from L1-L2 to L5-S1). We used the ANOVA test for repeated measurements (with Bonferroni correction) to compare the FSF and CSA among the levels.

Results

Erector spinae showed an increasing FSF from L1-L2 to L5-S1; all erector spinae FSF comparisons among the different levels were significantly different. Multifidus FSF also increased caudally below L2-L3, although significant differences were observed only with two or more levels of distance. The CSA of the erector spinae showed a caudal decrease (L4-L5 and L5-S1 being significantly smaller than all the levels above). The CSA of the multifidus showed that all levels exhibited a significantly different area compared to their adjacent level (except L5-S1 compared to L4-L5).

Conclusions

No single-level FSF or CSA is representative of the whole lumbar spine. A standardized multi-level evaluation of the paraspinal musculature should be used in future research.

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Title: Is a single-level measurement of paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and cross-sectional area representative of the entire lumbar spine?
Authors: Julio Urrutia
Pablo Besa
Daniel Lobos
Marcelo Andia
Cristobal Arrieta
Sergio Uribe
Publication date: 01-07-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Skeletal Radiology / Issue 7/2018
Print ISSN: 0364-2348
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2161
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-018-2902-z

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Is a single-level measurement of paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and cross-sectional area representative of the entire lumbar spine?

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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