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Related Experiment Videos

The lumbar multifidus: does the evidence support clinical beliefs?

David A MacDonald1, G Lorimer Moseley, Paul W Hodges

  • 1Division of Physiotherapy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.

Manual Therapy
|May 24, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Deep multifidus (DM) plays a role in lumbar stability, but clinical beliefs about its function, fiber type, activity patterns, and response to low back pain (LBP) lack strong evidence. Further research is needed to validate these assumptions.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Kinesiology
  • Anatomy

Background:

  • The lumbar multifidus muscle is crucial for spinal stability.
  • Recent focus is on the deep fibers (DM) of the lumbar multifidus.
  • Five clinical beliefs regarding DM function have emerged.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence supporting clinical beliefs about the deep multifidus (DM).
  • To evaluate the biomechanical, electromyographic, histochemical, and morphological data underpinning these beliefs.
  • To determine the clinical implications of current evidence regarding DM function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of biomechanical studies.
  • Analysis of electromyographic (EMG) data.
  • Examination of histochemical and morphological findings.

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Main Results:

  • Evidence supports the lumbar multifidus's role in intervertebral control.
  • Several clinical beliefs about DM function, fiber type, and activity patterns lack robust support.
  • The impact of low back pain (LBP) on DM requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

  • While the lumbar multifidus is important for spinal stability, many specific clinical beliefs about its deep fibers (DM) are not well-supported by current data.
  • Clinical practice should be informed by evidence, necessitating further evaluation of these beliefs.
  • Future research should focus on clarifying the precise role of DM in spinal mechanics and LBP.