Affiliation:
1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8543, Japan
2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Maruyama Orthopaedic Hospital, Sapporo 060-0007, Japan
Abstract
Aim: It is shown that the diminished function of the psoas major is mainly associated with increased lipid content; nonetheless, whether the fat content of the psoas major is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is still under study. It is hypothesized that IVDD is correlated with the lipid content of the psoas major and that IVDD can be comprehensively investigated using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Consequently, this study aimed to analyse the association between the psoas major extramyocellular lipid (EMCL) and intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content and disc degeneration quantified using MRI T2 mapping in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).
Methods: In this study, 20 men and 23 women (mean age, 63.1 years ± 2.6 years) underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The psoas major IMCL and EMCL content of patients was analysed. T2 values of the anterior annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and posterior AF were evaluated using MRI T2 mapping. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the possible correlations of the psoas major EMCL and IMCL content with the T2 values of the anterior AF, NP, and posterior AF.
Results: The EMCL content and T2 values of the anterior AF were significantly and negatively correlated [standardised partial regression coefficient (β) = −0.60, P < 0.01]. There were no significant correlations between the EMCL content and T2 values of the NP (β = −0.16, P = 0.30) or posterior AF (β = −0.14, P = 0.49) or between the IMCL content and T2 values of the anterior AF (β = −0.04, P = 0.82), NP (β = 0.05, P = 0.73), or posterior AF (β = −0.11, P = 0.58).
Conclusions: The EMCL content and T2 values of the anterior AF were correlated. Conversely, the IMCL content and T2 values were not correlated.
Publisher
Open Exploration Publishing
Subject
General Medicine,General Medicine,General Medicine,General Computer Science,General Medicine,Automotive Engineering,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering,General Earth and Planetary Sciences,General Environmental Science,General Medicine,General Medicine