Imaging Characteristics of Chronic Lumbar Disc Herniation From the Perspective of Core Muscles and Subcutaneous Fat Tissue Thickness

Fat infiltration and atrophy of lumbar muscles are related to spinal degenerative conditions, which can be seen reliably on MRI scans of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the degeneration of core muscles, obesity and chronic LDH. Fifty-five healthy volunteers and fifty-five chronic LDH patients (the course of the disease is more than six months) were enrolled. Core muscle percent fat and subcutaneous fat tissue thickness(SFTT) were used as the outcome measure, and logistic regression and independent samples t-test as the analytical methods to compare the relationship of the following five independent variables (erector spinae, rectus abdominis, \[transversus abdominal, internal abdominal oblique, and external abdominal oblique muscle\], lumbar multifidus, and psoas major muscles) and SFTT with LDH.