Comparison of Ultrasonography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Measurement of Lumbar Muscles

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography measurement of peri-lumbar muscle atrophy which is thought to be a cause of low back pain. Materials and Methods: Eighty-two patients (44 males, 38 females) who visited Wonkang University Hospital from March, 2015 to August, 2015 complaining of lumbar back pain and underwent lumbar MRI were enrolled in this study. Cross section area (CSA MRI ) and muscle thickness (MT MRI ) of psoas major (PS) and lumbar extensor (LM) located on both sides of L4/5 and L3/4 was measured by MRI, and sono measurement of thickness of the same muscle (MT US ) at the same level of that MRI measurement were analyzed. Results: In correlation analysis of PS CSA MRI and PS MT US is the correlation coefficient of L4/5 was 0.136 (p=0.64), L3/4 right (Rt) was 0.070 (p=0.81), and L3/4 left (Lt) was 0.288 (p=0.32). PS CSA MRI at L4/5 Rt showed that correlation coefficient of PS MT US showed a positive correlation to 0.559 (p=0.04). In analysis of the PS MT MRI and PS MT US , the correlation coefficient of L4/5 Rt was measured by a 0.316 (p=0.27), L4/5 Lt was 0.022 (p=0.94), L3/4 Rt was 0.236 (p=0.41), and L3/4 Lt did not show a significant result with 0.287 (p=0.31). In the results of correlation analysis of the LM MT MRI and LM MT US , the correlation coefficient of L4/5 Rt was 0.207 (p=0.49), L4/5 Lt was 0.051 (p=0.86), and L3/4 was Rt 0.048 (p=0.87), L3/4 Lt did not show a significant value with 0.154 (p=0.61). Conclusion: This study proved that muscle volume obtained from ultrasono is effective for evaluation of cross-sectional area of lumbar muscle.