Comparison of paravertebral muscle thickness and fatty infiltration in patients with osteoporosis, osteopenia and normal bone mineral density: a single-blind retrospective controlled trial.

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of paravertebral muscles and fatty infiltrations of the lumbar region in individuals with varying degrees of bone mineral density, including those with osteoporotic, osteopenic, and healthy control groups.

METHODS

This single-blind, retrospective, and controlled study included patients aged 50-90 years with lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. The study sample was selected through a simple random sampling method. The patients were divided into three groups based on their T-values in DXA measurements. All patients were evaluated using MRI to measure the anteroposterior thickness of the multifidus, psoas, and erector spinae muscles. Additionally, the Goutallier classification was utilized to assess the degree of muscle fatty infiltration at the L3 vertebra level.

RESULTS

A total of 301 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients included in the study was 65.97 ± 8.15 years. A total of 274 patients (91%) were female. A notable reduction in the multifidus muscle was observed in both the osteoporotic and osteopenic groups when compared to the control group. A significant loss was observed in the erector spinae and psoas muscles in the osteoporotic group when compared to the osteopenic and control groups. Furthermore, a notable decline in erector spinae muscle mass was observed in the osteopenic group relative to the control group. The level of muscle fatty infiltration was found to be significantly higher in the osteoporotic group when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

In patients with osteoporosis, there is a notable reduction in lumbar paravertebral muscle mass and an increase in fatty infiltration when compared to the healthy control group. The loss of muscle mass is observable in the multifidus and erector spinae muscles during the osteopenic period, whereas it is observable in the psoas muscle during the osteoporotic period.