Spinal muscle evaluation in healthy individuals and low-back-pain patients: A literature review

[en] This article reviews available techniques for spinal muscle investigation, as well as data on spinal muscles in healthy individuals and in patients with low back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, medical imaging studies show paraspinal muscle wasting with reductions in cross-sectional surface area and fiber density. In healthy individuals, the paraspinal muscles contain a high proportion of slow-twitch fibers (Type I), reflecting their role in maintaining posture. The proportion of Type I fibers is higher in females, leading to better adaptation to aerobic exertion compared to males. Abnormalities seen in paraspinal muscles from patients with chronic low back pain include marked Type II fiber atrophy, conversion of Type I to Type II fibers, and an increased number of nonspecific abnormalities. Limited data are available from magnetic resonance spectroscopy used to investigate muscle metabolism and from near infrared spectroscopy used to measure oxygen uptake by the paraspinal muscles. Surface electromyography in patients with chronic low back pain shows increased paraspinal muscle fatigability, often with abolition of the flexion-relaxation phenomenon.

Disciplines :

Orthopedics, rehabilitation & sports medicine

Author, co-author :

Demoulin, Christophe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Kinésithérapie spécifique et réadaptation motrice

Crielaard, Jean-Michel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Evaluation et entraînement des aptitudes physiques - Médecine physique et réadaptation fonctionnelle

Vanderthommen, Marc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Kinésithérapie spécifique et réadaptation motrice

Language :

English

Title :

Spinal muscle evaluation in healthy individuals and low-back-pain patients: A literature review

Publication date :

2007

Journal title :

Joint Bone Spine

ISSN :

1297-319X

eISSN :

1778-7254

Publisher :

Elsevier Science, Paris, France

Volume :

Pages :

9-13

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 20 May 2009

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169 (16 by ULiège)

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12 (4 by ULiège)

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Scopus citations^®

104

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

102

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