Gender-specific analysis for the association between trunk muscle mass and spinal pathologies

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Trunk muscle mass is essential for spinal stability and function.
• Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) can impact spinal health.
• Understanding gender-specific differences in muscle mass and spinal health is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between trunk muscle mass and spinal pathologies stratified by gender.
• To analyze the association between trunk muscle mass and disability, pain, spinal alignment, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter, cross-sectional study of patients aged 30+ years visiting a spinal clinic.
• Trunk and appendicular muscle mass measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis.
• Spinal health assessed using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ5D) scores.

Main Results:

• Trunk muscle mass significantly differed between genders and decreased with age after 70 in both.
• Lower trunk muscle mass correlated with higher ODI, worse SVA, and lower EQ5D scores in both genders.
• Association with VAS pain scores was significant only in men; critical thresholds identified (<26kg men, <19kg women).

Conclusions:

• Reduced trunk muscle mass is associated with increased lumbar disability, spinal imbalance, and poorer quality of life in both men and women.
• Gender-specific muscle mass thresholds indicate potential risk levels for spinal pathology.
• Preserving trunk muscle mass may be a key factor in managing spinal conditions and improving patient outcomes.