Assessment of the association between paraspinal muscle degeneration and quality of life in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis

Yong Tang; Sen Yang; Can Chen; Keyu Luo; Yueqi Chen; Donggui Wang; Jiulin Tan; Qijie Dai; Chengmin Zhang; Wenjie Wu; Jianzhong Xu; Fei Luo

doi:10.3892/etm.2020.8682

Assessment of the association between paraspinal muscle degeneration and quality of life in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis

Exp Ther Med. 2020 Jul;20(1):505-511. doi: 10.3892/etm.2020.8682. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Authors

Yong Tang^{1

2}, Sen Yang¹, Can Chen¹, Keyu Luo¹, Yueqi Chen¹, Donggui Wang¹, Jiulin Tan¹, Qijie Dai¹, Chengmin Zhang¹, Wenjie Wu¹, Jianzhong Xu¹, Fei Luo¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedics, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China.
² Department of Orthopaedics, The 72nd Group Army Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China.

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the characteristics of multifidus, erector spinae and psoas major degeneration in elderly patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) and the correlation between asymmetric changes and patient quality of life. A total of 49 patients with lumbar scoliosis (DLS group) and 38 healthy individuals (control group) were prospectively examined. The functional cross-sectional area, cross-sectional area difference index (CDI) and fat infiltration rate (FIR) of the multifidus, erector spinae and psoas major at the apical vertebral level were measured using MRI. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score were used to evaluate patient quality of life. Correlations between the degree of asymmetric muscular degeneration and quality of life were analysed. The CDI of the multifidus, erector spinal and psoas major was higher in the DLS group compared with that in the control group. The CDI of the multifidus was found to be positively associated with the Cobb angle of lumbar scoliosis. Similar results were obtained for fat infiltration between the two groups. In addition, the CDI and FIR difference index of the multifidus was positively correlated with the VAS score and ODI but negatively correlated with the SF-36 score. The quality of life significantly decreased with increasing asymmetric atrophy and fat infiltration in the multifidus. Thus, strategies to enhance the function of the multifidus may have a positive impact on quality of life (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, registration date, 2018.11.12; registration no. ChiCTR1800019459.).

Keywords: paraspinal muscles; psoas muscles; quality of life; scoliosis.