OBJECTIVE To investigate risk factors for S1 screw loosening after lumbosacral fusion, including spinopelvic parameters and paraspinal muscles. METHODS We studied with 156 patients with degenerative lumbar disease who underwent lumbosacral interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation including the level of L5-S1 between 2005 and 2012. The patients were divided into loosening and non-loosening ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prognostic value of cross-sectional areas (CSA) of paraspinal (multifidus and erector spinae) and psoas muscles on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in chronicity of low back pain. METHOD Thirty-eight subjects who visited our hospital for acute low back pain were enrolled. Review of their medical records and telephone interviews were done. Subjects were divided int...

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study with repeated measures design. OBJECTIVE To compare the myosin heavy-chain isoform distribution within and between paraspinal muscles and to test the theory that fiber-type gradients exist as a function of paraspinal muscle depth. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA There is still uncertainty regarding the fiber-type distributions within different paraspinal muscle...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the associations of computed tomography-based x-ray attenuation and paraspinal electrical impedance myography measures of trunk muscles with absolute and relative (normalized by body weight) trunk extension strength, independent of muscle cross-sectional area. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study of mobility-limited community-dwelling older adu...

Historically, these tumors have been resected using a traditional midline incision for posterior bilateral laminectomies or hemilaminectomies. Recently, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques with expandable or nonexpendable tubular retractors have been explored for spinal tumor excision for the purposes of reducing blood loss, soft-tissue injury, and hospital stays. Compared to traditiona...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of foot placement on the latissmus dorsi and low back muscles activities during pull-down exercise. [Subjects] For this study, we recruited 10 male volunteers. [Methods] The subjects performed pull-down exercises with 4 foot placement conditions. The activities of the latissmus dorsi and L4 paraspinal muscles were measured. [Results...

BACKGROUND Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an increasing health problem worldwide. So far, only obesity and quadriceps weakness are identified as modifiable risk factors for knee OA. Core muscle strengthening is becoming increasingly popular among older adults because of its ability to enhance the activities of daily living during old age. This study investigated the associations of the size and qu...