BACKGROUND:Lumbar paravertebral muscles play an important role for lumbar spinal stability. Increasing studies emphasize on the change of paravertebral muscles in patients with lumbar degenerative disease and therefore have important clinical significance for the rehabilitation training of paravertebral muscle in patients with lumbar degenerative disease. ＜br> OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of the change of paravertebral muscle in patients with lumbar degenerative disease and to look into the future development prospects. ＜br> METHODS:A computer-based online search of PubMed and WANFANG DATA between 1986 and 2014 was performed with the key words“lumbar vertebra, paravertebral muscle, psoas major, multifidus muscle, cross sectional area, muscle atrophy, fatty infiltration, muscle biopsy, MRI, electromyography”in English and Chinese, respectively. The clinical and experimental studies addressing the changes of paravertebral muscle in patients with lumbar degenerative disease were included. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 literatures were included into the final analysis, 8 Chinese and 40 English. ＜br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The change of paravertebral muscle in patients with lumbar degenerative disease includes muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration. The changes of paravertebral muscles are often detected with B-ultrasound, CT, MRI, EMG and muscle biopsy. Due to the differences of sample size, age and study method, there are different results, even conflicting. So some limitations of sample size, age and study method are needed to obtain accurate results. In addition, further studies wil focus on the verification of which nerve specifical y dominants lumbar paravertebral muscles.

BACKGROUND:Recently, the effects of lumbar facet joint morphology on the onset of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis have been a discussion point. However, the discussion mainly concerned CT manifestations of joint angle and osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that the changes in cross-sectional area of paraspinal muscle were considered as the essential marker for the pathological diagnosis of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. However, previous studies limited the accuracy of the conclusion due to smal sample size, young age, and measurement.
OBJECTIVE:To observe changes in MRI images of bilateral paraspinal muscles after degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.
METHODS:This study adopted the method of retrospective study, selected 80 cases of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis as lumbar spondylolisthesis group, and 80 healthy persons as control group. Image J software was utilized to measure cross-sectional areas of bilateral erector spinae and psoas major muscle on the L 3-5 vertebral endplate levels using T2-weighted MRI in both groups. The ratio of relevant data was calculated.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group, the ratio of cross-sectional area of paraspinal muscle was increased on the same side and the same level in the lumbar spondylolisthesis group (P<0.05), and the mean value of cross-sectional area of bilateral psoas major muscle was decreased on the same level (P<0.05). No significant difference in the mean value of cross-sectional area of left and right erector spinae was detected on the same level (P>0.05). Results indicated that the changes in cross-sectional area of paraspinal muscle could induce degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and could be considered as a diagnostic standard for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.