Comparison of MRI-defined back muscles volume between patients with ankylosing spondylitis and control patients with chronic back pain: age and spinopelvic alignment matched study

ConclusionsAS patients without deformity already have decreased paraspinal muscle volume compared with age and spinopelvic alignment matched non-AS patients with chronic back pain. Such decrease in paraspinal muscle volume was significantly associated with kyphotic deformity of AS patients even after multivariate adjustment. Although the result of our study supports the causal relationship between muscle degeneration and kyphotic deformity in AS patients, further study is required to prove the causality.
Source: European Spine Journal - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research