Impact of Muscle Degeneration in Chronic Low Back Pain

Surgical interventions for the removal of intervertebral disc fragments or to enlarge a narrow spine canal are commonly performed worldwide and are considered efficient. Concomitant low back pain is not uncommon among patients with lumbar nerve compression and neurological symptoms. When present, controversy persists in the literature regarding its ideal management. Although neurological symptoms improve after decompressive surgery, the presence of residual chronic low back pain may worsen satisfaction scores and cause functional disability. The hypothesis of the present study is that the presence of atrophy of the paraspinal and trunk muscles predicts chronic low back pain after lumbar neural decompression. If confirmed, this finding will aid in better planning of physical rehabilitation strategies for this group of patients, as well as a clearer prediction regarding surgical treatment outcomes for patients and health professionals.

NCT Number	NCT04273828
Lead Sponsor	Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
Conditions	Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Lumbar Disc Herniation, Radiculopathy, Back Pain
Enrollment	168 participants
Start Date	2020-04-06
Primary Completion	2024-12-27 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-06-27 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-03-13