Assessment of Lumbar Extensor Muscles in the Context of Trunk Function, a Pilot Study in Healthy Individuals

Abstract

A comprehensive assessment of trunk function, including the lumbar extensor muscles, appears to be important in various conditions affecting axial musculature. This pilot cross-sectional observational study aimed to define a battery of tests that comprehensively assess trunk muscle function (strength and muscular endurance). Sixty subjects without low back pain (LBP) underwent measurement of isometric lower back extensor strength using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) in three positions; measurement of respiratory muscle strength; and Biering-Sørensen, prone-plank, and side-bridge tests. The repeatability, short-term and long-term reliability using the HHD device in different postural positions was confirmed. The greatest isometric lower back extensor strength was generated in the sitting position by male subjects. Time of effort in the Biering-Sørensen test was longer in women and older subgroups than in men and younger individuals, although this was not the case for the other two muscular endurance tests. This pilot monitoring of trunk muscle strength and endurance in healthy volunteers may lead to a better understanding of trunk muscle function. Based on this methodological background, the authors aim to use the defined battery of tests in their further studies in a group of patients with LBP and certain neuromuscular diseases to verify its usefulness in clinical practice.