Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
Gender variation of human spinal and paraspinal structures
R G Cooper1, S Holli, M I Jayson
1Rheumatic Diseases Centre, University of Manchester, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK.
Abstract:
To investigate the effects of gender on the dimensions of spinal and paraspinal structures, anthropometric assessments were made on 92 patients (39 female and 53 male, aged 20-55 years) suffering low back pain which required computerized tomography for further investigation. During routine scans cross-sectional areas (CSA) of L4 and paraspinal and psoas muscles were measured at the level of the upper table of L4. The results indicated significantly greater cross-sectional areas of all structures in males who were significantly heavier. For both sexes there were significant, linear relationships between L4 and paraspinal and psoas muscle cross-sectional areas and bodyweight. Gender differences were apparent since for each structure regression lines were, although parallel, separated according to sex, with males having significantly greater muscle and bone cross-sectional areas than females. The gender difference between the lines was much greater for psoas than for paraspinal muscles, suggesting the influence of biomechanical, in addition to hormonal, differences between the sexes.
Related Concept Videos
Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...
Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
Introduction to the Skeletal System
Components of the Skeletal System
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a hard connective tissue that forms an internal support structure for the human body. Bones shield vulnerable organs and soft tissue from external forces. For example, the vertebral bones protect and support the spinal cord.
Cartilage, a semi-rigid connective tissue found in regions such as...
General Structure of a Vertebra
Spinal Cord: Gross Anatomy
Spinal Nerves: Anatomy
There are 31 bilateral pairs of spinal nerves, each emerging from the spinal cord through the intervertebral foramina—openings between adjacent vertebrae. These nerves are...
