%0 Journal Article
%T Lumbar Multifidus Morphology in Youth Competitive Alpine Skiers and Associated Sex, Age, Biological Maturation, Trunk Stability, and Back Complaints.
%A Fitze DP
%A Franchi MV
%A Ellenberger L
%A Peterhans L
%A Fröhlich S
%A Frey WO
%A Spörri J
%J Sports Health
%V 15
%N 6
%D Nov-Dec 2023 14
%M 36517985
%F 4.355
%R 10.1177/19417381221136129
%X UNASSIGNED: The lumbar multifidus (LMF), as a dynamic stabilizer of the lumbar spine, may play an important role in the prevention of overuse-related back complaints.
UNASSIGNED: LMF morphology is associated with trunk stability and differs between symptomatic and asymptomatic skiers.
UNASSIGNED: Cohort study.
UNASSIGNED: Level 3.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 85 youth skiers (28 females, mean age, 14.7 ± 0.7 years; 57 males, mean age, 14.9 ± 0.5 years) underwent anthropometric assessments, an estimation of biological maturation, a magnetic resonance imaging- and ultrasound-based examination of LMF morphology, and a biomechanical quantification of deadbug bridging stabilization performance. Athletes were categorized as symptomatic if they had registered at least 1 significant overuse-related back complaint episode in the 12 months before the main examination.
UNASSIGNED: Male skiers showed a greater LMF size (ie, anatomical cross-sectional area [ACSA]) than female skiers, except for vertebral body L5, where no difference was found (8.8 ± 1.8 cm2 vs 8.3 ± 1.4 cm2, P = 0.18). Conversely, female skiers displayed longer fascicles than male skiers (5.8 ± 0.8 cm vs 5.4 ± 0.8 cm, P = 0.03). Skiers aged under 16 years (U16) skiers had greater values for LMF size and fascicle length than U15 skiers. Maturity offset was associated with L5 LMF size (R2 = 0.060, P = 0.01), fascicle length (R2 = 0.038, P = 0.04), and muscle thickness (R2 = 0.064, P = 0.02). L5 LMF size was associated with trunk stability (R2 = 0.068, P = 0.01). Asymptomatic skiers showed on average a 12.8% greater value for L5 LMF size compared with symptomatic skiers (P = 0.04).
UNASSIGNED: There are sex- and age-related differences in LMF morphology in youth competitive alpine skiers. Moreover, the ACSA at the level of the lumbar vertebral body L5 undergoes changes during biological maturation, shows a small, but significant association with trunk stability, and differs between symptomatic and asymptomatic skiers with back complaints.
UNASSIGNED: The observed association of muscle structure (ie, L5 LMF ACSA) with functional aspects (ie, trunk stabilization capacity) and clinical representation (ie, overuse-related back complaints) further highlights the important role of the multifidus muscle for training and injury prevention in youth competitive alpine skiers around the growth spurt.