Comparison of Cervical Extensor Muscle Thickness, Fat Infiltration, and Cervical Alignment in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis With a Healthy Population: a Retrospective Controlled Study

In the literature, we found only one study evaluating the thickness of the cervical paraspinal muscles (multifidus, semispinalis cervicis, semispinalis capitis, splenius capitis, and trapezius) in patients with AS. This study examined the morphology of all neck extensor muscles (multifidus, semispinalis capitis, semispinalis cervicis, splenius capitis, and trapezius muscles) using ultrasound and their relationship to activities of daily living and compared them with a control group. As is well known, the user's experience is crucial in ultrasound. Furthermore, ultrasound cannot accurately assess the deep paravertebral muscles. Therefore, inspired by this study, we decided to use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to evaluate the cervical muscle planes in AS patients in more detailed and objective ways. In this study, in addition to cervical muscle volumes in AS patients, we also aimed to evaluate cervical fat infiltration and cervical alignment, which have not been previously evaluated in AS patients.

NCT Number	NCT07148167
Lead Sponsor	Kayseri City Hospital
Conditions	Muscle Planes, Muscle Volumes, Fat Infiltration in Cervical MRI
Enrollment	158 participants
Start Date	2025-01-01
Primary Completion	2025-11-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-11-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-20