Investigation of the relationship between sagittal curvature and lumbar extensor muscle volume in patients with lower back pain

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between spinal curvature and extensor muscle volume in patients who presented to our hospital with lower back pain and were referred to our radiology clinic for imaging investigations.Methods: A total of 150 patients with 87 being female and 63 male who presented to our hospital with the complaint of lower back pain and were referred to our radiology clinic were included in this study. Lumbar angle, lumbosacral angle, wedge angle, sacral horizontal angle, the volume of the right and left PSOAS muscles and the volume of the right and left extensor muscles were calculated and analyzed. Results: A total of 150 patients with lower back pain were included in the study. The mean lumbar angle was found as 44.2±10.6 degrees, and the mean lumbosacral angle as 56.7±10.9 degrees. The mean wedge angle of all patients included in the study was measured as 9.3±3.7 degrees. The mean sacral horizontal angle was found as 33.6±7.1 degrees. The mean right lumbar extensor muscle volume was measured as 2169.6±489.6 mm3, while the mean left lumbar extensor volume was calculated as 2286.5±1452.8 mm3. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a significant positive correlation between the volume of extensor muscles in the lower half of the lumbar spine and sagittal curvature in the same region. Clarifying the relationship between sagittal curvature and lower lumbar muscle size will provide contribution to the management of patients with lower back pain and will be helpful in determining whether these patients would benefit from intensive treatment.