Evaluation of Multifidus Muscle Atrophy in MRI Images of Patients with Spinal Pain and its Related Factors

Background and Objective: Multifidus muscle which is one of the para-spinal muscles plays a key role in strengthening the spine and acts as inhibitory feedback in pain control.  The present study aimed to evaluate the rate of multifidus muscle atrophy in Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) images of patients with spinal pain. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 600 MRI images of patients with spinal pain (patients complaining of pain during clinical examination) referring to Besat Hospital of Hamadan within 2017- 2018 were selected by census method and evaluated for multifidus muscle atrophy based on its related variables.  The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) at 95% confidence level. Results: The mean age of patients was reported as 46.16 years.  In terms of gender, 46.5% of cases were male and 53.5% were female.  The frequency of multifidus muscle atrophy was measured at 63.5% out of which 38.6%, 43.6%, and 17.8% were reported as grades one, two, and third, respectively.  As evidenced by the obtained results,  multifidus muscle atrophy and its degree showed a significant correlation with such variables as age, sex, body mass index(MBI), intense physical activity, duration of daily activities, duration and symmetry of pain (P<0.05). Conclusion: The frequency of atrophy of multifidus muscle was reported to be high in the patients under study. Female gender, old age, high BMI, intense physical activity, duration of daily activities, duration of spinal pain and two-sided pain were recognized as independent variables associated with multifidus muscle atrophy.