Functional and Structural of the Erector Spinae Muscle during Isometric Lumbar Extension

Study Design: cross-sectional study. Objectives: to compare erector spinae (ES) muscle fatigue between chronic non-specific lower back pain (CNLBP) sufferers and healthy subjects from a biomechanical perspective during fatiguing isometric lumbar extensions. Background: paraspinal muscle maximal contraction and fatigue are used as a functional predictor for disabilities. The simplest method to determine muscle fatigue is by evaluating the evolution during specific contractions, such as isometric contractions. There are no studies that evaluate the evolution of the ES muscle during fatiguing isometric lumbar extensions and analyse functional and architectural variables. Methods: In a pre-calibrated system, participants performed a maximal isometric extension of the lumbar spine for 5 and 30 seconds. Functional variables (torque and muscle activation) and architecture (pennation angle and muscle thickness) were measured using a load cell, surface electromyography and ultrasound, respectively. The results were normalised and a reliability study of the ultrasound measurement was made. Results: The ultrasound measurements were highly reliable, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.951 0.981. All measured variables shown significant differences before and after fatiguing isometric lumbar extension. Conclusion: During a lumbar isometric extension test, architecture and functional variables of the ES muscle could be analised using ultrasound, surface EMG and load cell. In adition, during an endurance test, ES muscle suffers an acute effect on architectural and functional variables.