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Relationship between Low Back Pain and Lumbar Paraspinal Muscles Fat Change in MRI

  • Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
  • Abbr : JKMR
  • 2009, 19(1), pp.135-143
  • Publisher : The Korean Academy Of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Research Area : Medicine and Pharmacy > Korean Medicine

김하늘 1 김주원 1 진은석 1 하인혁 1 고동현 1 홍순성 1 권혁준 1 kyounghun Kim 2

1자생한방병원
2연세대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Objectives : Low back pain(LBP) is a common disabling disease in clinical practice and loss of working hours due to this condition is huge. The aim of this study was to determine if there was an association between fat deposit of paraspinal muscles as observed on MRI scans in patients presenting with unilateral LBP. Methods : 24 patients who visiting our hospital with a clinical presentation of unilateral LBP were recruited to the study. Patients were between 20 and 30 years and had a history of unilateral LBP within 12 months. After MRI scaning, the images were saved in DICOM file format for Picture Archiving and Communication System(PACS). The percentage of fat infiltrated area was measured using a pseudocoloring technique. Data were analyzed comparing the fat deposits of the muscles on the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. Paired t-test was used to find the difference between the measurements of fat tissue in individual patients. Results : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side was 7.6±4.51%, asymptomatic side was 6.7±4.29%. There were increases, statistically significant, in the fat changes of the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level(P <0.05). Also, men were likely than women to have more fat deposit in symptomatic side(men 8.5±5.1%, women 6.5±3.6%). Conclusions : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side shows significantly increased than asymptomatic side in the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level. It suggested that fat infiltration in the muscles associated with LBP. Further studies will be needed to confirm the relationship between the muscle fatty changes and LBP in the large sample size. In addition, the correlation of pain severity with fat infiltration needs to be addressed.

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