Non-invasive assessment of human multifidus muscle stiffness using ultrasound shear wave elastography: A feasibility study

Abstract

is an open access repository that collects the work of Arts et Métiers ParisTech researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. There is a lack of numeric data for the mechanical characterization of spine muscles, especially in vivo data. The multifidus muscle is a major muscle for the stabilization of the spine and may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic low back pain (LBP). Supersonic shear wave elastography (SWE) has not yet been used on back muscles. The purpose of this prospective study is to assess the feasibility of ultrasound SWE to measure the elastic modulus of lumbar multifidus muscle in a passive stretching posture and at rest with a repeatable and reproducible method.

Influence of thoracolumbar fascia stretching on lumbar back muscle stiffness: A supersonic shear wave elastography approach

“…According to prior studies, overall results reveal good to excellent reliability of SWE within the LPM in most postures (MacDonald et al, ; Moreau et al, ). Contrary to study by Koppenhaver et al (2018), we found greater reliability in the ES than in the multifidus.…”

“…According to prior studies, overall results reveal good to excellent reliability of SWE within the LPM in most postures (MacDonald et al, 2015;Moreau et al, 2016).…”

“…Previous studies showed that stiffness in the PMC was found to increase considerably in seated position compared to all back positions due to variation in intra‐compartmental pressure, LPM contraction, intra‐abdominal pressurization and orthostatic pressure (Donisch and Basmajian, ; Songcharoen et al, ). In a study using SWE, Moreau et al () found significant increased stiffness between procubitus and seated position (Moreau et al, ). By using strain elastography, Chan et al () showed that E of the multifidus increased almost linearly from the prone to the upright position and continued to increase in forward positions, implying that the stiffness of the multifidus increased with increased postural demand, from natural extension to forced extension of the muscle(Chan et al, ).…”

“…Because of the difficulty to achieve the complex anatomy of the LPM, which are polyarticular, multiceps and multipennate muscles, only few studies have been conducted on the LPM stiffness (Winckler, ; Macintosh and Bogduk, , ; Bogduk et al, ; Creze et al, ; Kelly et al, ). Stiffness value of the LPM and reproducibility of SWE in the LPM depend on various factors including stretching, torque, contraction, compression of the TLF and posture (Koppenhaver et al, ; Moreau et al, ). Thus, the conditions for reproducible SWE protocols in the LPM that would be compatible with clinical routine are not defined yet.…”

Feasibility assessment of shear wave elastography to lumbar back muscles

“…Few studies have explored the stiffness of paraspinal muscles. Moreau et al () found a SM of 8.6 kPa (shear modulus) at level L2–L3 and 6.9 kPa at level L4–L5 in the multifidus at rest in prone position using SWE, and Chan et al () found a YM of 36 kPa, which corresponds to SM = 12 kPa, using strain elastography. By extension to other trunk muscles, mean stiffness using SWE ranged from 3.5 kPa for the internal oblique to 22 kPa for the external oblique (Hirayama et al, ; Tran et al, ).…”