Cervical muscle area measurements in whiplash patients: Acute, 3, and 6 months of follow-up.

PURPOSE

To investigate the role of the cervical spine muscles in whiplash injury. We hypothesized that (i) cervical muscle hypotrophy would be evident after a 6-month follow-up and, (ii) cervical muscle hypotrophy would correlate with symptom persistence probably related to pain or inactivity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety symptomatic patients (48 females) were recruited from our emergency department and examined within 48 h, and at 3, and 6 months after a motor vehicle accident. MRI cross-sectional muscle area (CSA) measurements were performed bilaterally of the cervical extensor and sternocleidomastoid muscles using transverse STIR (Short Tau inversion Recovery) sequences at the C2 (deep and total dorsal cervical extensor muscles), C4 (sternocleidomastoid muscles) and C5 (deep and total dorsal cervical extensor muscles) levels. Two blinded raters independently performed the measurements at each time point. First, CSA changes over time were analyzed and, second, CSAs were correlated with clinical outcomes (EuroQuol, Whiplash Disability Score, neck pain intensity [VAS], cervical spine mobility).

RESULTS

There was a high agreement of CSA measurements between the two raters. Women consistently had smaller CSAs than men. There were no significant changes of CSAs over time at any of the three levels. There were no consistent significant correlations of CSA values with the clinical scores at all time points except with the body mass index.

CONCLUSION

Our results do not support a major role of cervical muscle volume in the genesis of symptoms after whiplash injury.