Lumbar Multifidus Muscle Characteristics, Body Composition, and Injury in University Rugby Players.

Publisher: National Athletic Trainers' Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9301647 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1938-162X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10626050 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Athl Train Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Dallas, TX : National Athletic Trainers' Association, c1992-

Body Composition* ; Low Back Pain*/diagnosis ; Low Back Pain*/physiopathology ; Paraspinal Muscles*/diagnostic imaging ; Paraspinal Muscles*/injuries ; Universities* ; Rugby*/injuries; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Absorptiometry, Photon ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Lumbosacral Region ; Ultrasonography

Context: A smaller lumbar multifidus (LM) muscle was reported to be a strong predictor of lower limb injury in professional Australian Football League players. However, despite the high prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and lower limb injury in rugby players, their LM characteristics have yet to be explored.
Objective: To (1) examine LM characteristics in male and female university rugby players and their possible associations with LBP and lower limb injury and (2) investigate the relationship between LM characteristics and body composition in this group of athletes.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: University research center.
Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-four university rugby players (20 women, 14 men).
Main Outcome Measure(s): Ultrasound measurements of LM cross-sectional area (CSA), thickness, and percentage change in thickness during contraction were obtained bilaterally, at the L5-S1 level, in prone and standing positions. Body composition measures were obtained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Self-reported questionnaires were used to obtain LBP and lower limb injury history.
Results: Players who reported LBP in the previous 3 months showed a smaller percentage change in thickness during contraction in the standing position (F = 5.21, P = .03). The LM CSA side-to-side asymmetry (right versus left) was greater in players who reported having a lower limb injury in the previous 12 months (F = 4.98, P = .03). The LM CSA was significantly associated with body composition measurements. A greater percentage change in thickness during contraction was significantly associated with a lower percentage of body fat. The LM echo intensity was strongly associated with the total percentage of body fat and was significantly greater in women.
Conclusions: The influence of body composition on LM morphology in athletes cannot be ignored and warrants further investigation. Our findings also provide preliminary evidence of an association among LM morphology, LBP, and lower limb injury in university rugby players.
(© by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Inc.)

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Keywords: dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; low back pain; lower limb injury; paraspinal muscles; ultrasound

Date Created: 20200930 Date Completed: 20230526 Latest Revision: 20230526

20240829

PMC7594604

10.4085/1062-6050-304-19

32997748