Key result
In adolescent male elite rowers, short-term low back pain intensity was significantly associated with longer T2 relaxation times in the erector spinae and multifidus muscles (p < 0.001).
Why the study?
To assess demographic data, training characteristics, and low back pain in male adolescent elite rowers, visualize lumbar skeletal muscle structural changes with qMRI, and correlate findings to pain intensity.
Cohort (n=20)
No
Effect estimate: B = 0.144
p-value: p=<0.001
Quantitative MRI parameters (T1 and T2 relaxation times) correlate with short- and long-term low back pain intensity in adolescent elite rowers, suggesting muscular strains contribute to pain.
Suggests T2 MRI may detect muscle involvement in rower back pain; hypothesis-generating and should not change practice.
Objectives:To assess demographic data, training characteristics and low back pain (LBP) in male adolescent elite rowers, visualize structural changes in the lumbar skeletal muscle with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) and correlate findings to reported long- and short-term pain intensity. Methods:In this single-center case series, twenty male elite rowers completed a questionnaire for retrieval of anthropometric data, training characteristics and a standardized back pain questionnaire. Participants then underwent MR imaging, which included the acquisition of T1- and T2-mapping sequences and Dixon-based sequences for the Erector spinae (ES) and Multifidus (MF) muscle. Reported short- and long-term pain intensity was correlated to relaxation times and training characteristics. Results:Short-term pain intensity was associated with shorter T1 relaxation (p = 0.025 and p 0.022 for ES and MF, respectively) and longer T2 relaxation times (p < 0.001 for ES and MF, respectively), while long-term pain intensity was associated to longer T2 relaxation times (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004 for ES and MF, respectively). Conclusion:Competitive adolescent rowers are at risk about developing LBP. qMRI parameters provide insight in structural changes in the lumbar skeletal muscle which are linked to reported short- and long-term pain intensity, indicating that muscular strains can account for LBP.
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Marth et al. (2022) conducted a cohort in Low back pain (n=20). Lumbar skeletal muscle structural changes (T1 and T2 relaxation times) was evaluated on Association of short-term pain intensity (last 24 hours) with T2 relaxation times in the Erector spinae muscle (B = 0.144, p=<0.001). In adolescent male elite rowers, short-term low back pain intensity was significantly associated with longer T2 relaxation times in the erector spinae and multifidus muscles (p < 0.001).
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