Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain

Stephanie Valentin; Theresia Licka; James Elliott

doi:10.1016/j.math.2014.07.007

Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain

Stephanie Valentin^*, Theresia Licka, James Elliott

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study evaluated lumbar spine muscle volume and Muscle Fatty Infiltrate (MFI) across two age groups of healthy adults. Twenty-four participants (young group - YG: age 18-25, n=12; mature group - MG: age 45-60, n=12) without low back pain underwent T1-weighted axial MRI. Muscle volume and MFI were obtained from the left and right lumbar erector spinae (ES), multifidus (M), rectus abdominis (RA) and psoas (PS) muscles. For MFI, mean pixel intensity (MPI) of muscles was reported as a percentage of subcutaneous fat MPI. Within-group comparison of left and right side muscle volume was not significantly different in the YG. In the MG, right RA and ES were significantly smaller than left (RA p=0.049; ES p=0.03). In both groups, left PS, M and ES MFI was significantly smaller compared to the right side and left RA MFI was significantly greater compared to right side (all p≤0.001). For M volume, 81.7-84.6% of variance was explained by age, height and Body Mass Index (BMI). For ES volume, 81.6-82.8% of variance was explained by height and BMI. Age explained 18.1%-36.0% of variance in M and ES right MFI. Therefore, age and BMI are relevant factors for extensor muscle volume, but not for flexor muscle volume. Also, age significantly influences MFI for right-sided extensors only. The age effect is apparently independent of full subjective back functionality. For future spinal muscle research, the side-and muscle-specific effect of age on muscle morphology should be considered.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	90-95
Number of pages	6
Journal	Manual Therapy
Volume	20
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2014.07.007
State	Published - Feb 1 2015

Funding

This study was made possible with financial support from the Austrian Science Fund (grant no. P24020 ) (FWF, project number P24020). The authors would like to thank the staff at the Diagnosezentrum Donaustadt, Vienna, Austria, in their assistance with the MRI data collection for this study.

Keywords

Fatty infiltration
Lumbar spine
MRI
Muscle volume

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

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10.1016/j.math.2014.07.007

Cite this

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title = "Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain",

abstract = "This study evaluated lumbar spine muscle volume and Muscle Fatty Infiltrate (MFI) across two age groups of healthy adults. Twenty-four participants (young group - YG: age 18-25, n=12; mature group - MG: age 45-60, n=12) without low back pain underwent T1-weighted axial MRI. Muscle volume and MFI were obtained from the left and right lumbar erector spinae (ES), multifidus (M), rectus abdominis (RA) and psoas (PS) muscles. For MFI, mean pixel intensity (MPI) of muscles was reported as a percentage of subcutaneous fat MPI. Within-group comparison of left and right side muscle volume was not significantly different in the YG. In the MG, right RA and ES were significantly smaller than left (RA p=0.049; ES p=0.03). In both groups, left PS, M and ES MFI was significantly smaller compared to the right side and left RA MFI was significantly greater compared to right side (all p≤0.001). For M volume, 81.7-84.6% of variance was explained by age, height and Body Mass Index (BMI). For ES volume, 81.6-82.8% of variance was explained by height and BMI. Age explained 18.1%-36.0% of variance in M and ES right MFI. Therefore, age and BMI are relevant factors for extensor muscle volume, but not for flexor muscle volume. Also, age significantly influences MFI for right-sided extensors only. The age effect is apparently independent of full subjective back functionality. For future spinal muscle research, the side-and muscle-specific effect of age on muscle morphology should be considered.",

keywords = "Fatty infiltration, Lumbar spine, MRI, Muscle volume",

author = "Stephanie Valentin and Theresia Licka and James Elliott",

note = "Funding Information: This study was made possible with financial support from the Austrian Science Fund (grant no. P24020 ) (FWF, project number P24020). The authors would like to thank the staff at the Diagnosezentrum Donaustadt, Vienna, Austria, in their assistance with the MRI data collection for this study. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014 Elsevier Ltd.",

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PY - 2015/2/1

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N2 - This study evaluated lumbar spine muscle volume and Muscle Fatty Infiltrate (MFI) across two age groups of healthy adults. Twenty-four participants (young group - YG: age 18-25, n=12; mature group - MG: age 45-60, n=12) without low back pain underwent T1-weighted axial MRI. Muscle volume and MFI were obtained from the left and right lumbar erector spinae (ES), multifidus (M), rectus abdominis (RA) and psoas (PS) muscles. For MFI, mean pixel intensity (MPI) of muscles was reported as a percentage of subcutaneous fat MPI. Within-group comparison of left and right side muscle volume was not significantly different in the YG. In the MG, right RA and ES were significantly smaller than left (RA p=0.049; ES p=0.03). In both groups, left PS, M and ES MFI was significantly smaller compared to the right side and left RA MFI was significantly greater compared to right side (all p≤0.001). For M volume, 81.7-84.6% of variance was explained by age, height and Body Mass Index (BMI). For ES volume, 81.6-82.8% of variance was explained by height and BMI. Age explained 18.1%-36.0% of variance in M and ES right MFI. Therefore, age and BMI are relevant factors for extensor muscle volume, but not for flexor muscle volume. Also, age significantly influences MFI for right-sided extensors only. The age effect is apparently independent of full subjective back functionality. For future spinal muscle research, the side-and muscle-specific effect of age on muscle morphology should be considered.

AB - This study evaluated lumbar spine muscle volume and Muscle Fatty Infiltrate (MFI) across two age groups of healthy adults. Twenty-four participants (young group - YG: age 18-25, n=12; mature group - MG: age 45-60, n=12) without low back pain underwent T1-weighted axial MRI. Muscle volume and MFI were obtained from the left and right lumbar erector spinae (ES), multifidus (M), rectus abdominis (RA) and psoas (PS) muscles. For MFI, mean pixel intensity (MPI) of muscles was reported as a percentage of subcutaneous fat MPI. Within-group comparison of left and right side muscle volume was not significantly different in the YG. In the MG, right RA and ES were significantly smaller than left (RA p=0.049; ES p=0.03). In both groups, left PS, M and ES MFI was significantly smaller compared to the right side and left RA MFI was significantly greater compared to right side (all p≤0.001). For M volume, 81.7-84.6% of variance was explained by age, height and Body Mass Index (BMI). For ES volume, 81.6-82.8% of variance was explained by height and BMI. Age explained 18.1%-36.0% of variance in M and ES right MFI. Therefore, age and BMI are relevant factors for extensor muscle volume, but not for flexor muscle volume. Also, age significantly influences MFI for right-sided extensors only. The age effect is apparently independent of full subjective back functionality. For future spinal muscle research, the side-and muscle-specific effect of age on muscle morphology should be considered.

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Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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