title: Lumbar muscularity and its relationship with age, occupation and low back pain.
abstract: This paper considers an internal standard of lumbar muscularity. The cross-sectional areas (Acs) of the intervertebral disc and paraspinal muscles were measured in 147 working men from an axial magnetic resonance image passing through the L3-4 disc. Lumbar muscularity was expressed by two ratios; the ratio between the Acs of the right psoas and the Acs of the intervertebral disc (P:disc), and the ratio between the combined Acs values of the right erector spinae and quadratus lumborum and the Acs of the disc (ESQL:disc). When the subjects were divided into two age groups (76 aged 20-30 years and 71 aged 31-58 years) lumbar muscularity was found to be significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in the younger age group (P:disc = 0.8, SD 0.2; ESQL:disc = 2.0, SD 0.3) than in the older age group (P:disc = 0.7, SD 0.2; ESQL:disc = 1.8, SD 0.3). Lumbar muscularity was not significantly affected by occupation or by a history of low back pain.
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, University of Liverpool, England.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Millerchip
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001415:Back / Q000502:physiology*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D009790:Occupations; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology