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Article

Reduced Cervical Muscle Fat Infiltrate Is Associated with Self-Reported Recovery from Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain Over Six Months: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Cohort Study

by
Suzanne J. Snodgrass
1,2,*,
Kenneth A. Weber II
3,
Evert O. Wesselink
4,
Peter Stanwell
5 and
James M. Elliott
6,7
1
Discipline of Physiotherapy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
2
Centre for Active Living and Learning, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights 2305, Australia
3
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
4
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
5
Discipline of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
6
The Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney (Arabanoo) Precinct, St Leonards 2065, Australia
7
Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2050, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(15), 4485; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154485
Submission received: 13 May 2024 / Revised: 26 July 2024 / Accepted: 26 July 2024 / Published: 31 July 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neck Pain: Advancements in Assessment and Contemporary Management)
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Abstract

Background: It is unclear why neck pain persists or resolves, making assessment and management decisions challenging. Muscle composition, particularly muscle fat infiltrate (MFI), is related to neck pain, but it is unknown whether MFI changes with recovery following targeted interventions. Methods: We compared muscle composition quantified from fat-water magnetic resonance images from the C3 to T1 vertebrae in individuals with and without chronic idiopathic neck pain at two times 6 months apart. Those with neck pain received six weeks of intervention (physiotherapy or chiropractic) after their baseline MRI; at 6 months, they were classified as recovered (≥3 on the 11-point Global Rating of Change scale) or not recovered. Results: At 6 months, both asymptomatic and recovered individuals had decreased MFI compared to baseline (asymptomatic estimated marginal mean difference −1.6% 95%; CI −1.9, −1.4; recovered −1.6; −1.8, −1.4; p < 0.001) whereas those classified as not recovered had increased MFI compared to baseline (0.4; 0.1, 0.7; p = 0.014), independent of age, sex and body mass index. Conclusions: It appears MFI decreases with recovery from neck pain but increases when neck pain persists. The relationship between cervical MFI and neck pain suggests MFI may inform diagnosis, theragnosis and prognosis in individuals with neck pain. Future development of a clinical test for MFI may assist in identifying patients who will benefit from targeted muscle intervention, improving outcomes.
Keywords: muscles; neck muscles; muscle; skeletal; neck pain; chronic pain; musculoskeletal pain; intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT); fat muscles; neck muscles; muscle; skeletal; neck pain; chronic pain; musculoskeletal pain; intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT); fat

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MDPI and ACS Style

Snodgrass, S.J.; Weber, K.A., II; Wesselink, E.O.; Stanwell, P.; Elliott, J.M. Reduced Cervical Muscle Fat Infiltrate Is Associated with Self-Reported Recovery from Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain Over Six Months: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13, 4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154485

AMA Style

Snodgrass SJ, Weber KA II, Wesselink EO, Stanwell P, Elliott JM. Reduced Cervical Muscle Fat Infiltrate Is Associated with Self-Reported Recovery from Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain Over Six Months: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024; 13(15):4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154485

Chicago/Turabian Style

Snodgrass, Suzanne J., Kenneth A. Weber, II, Evert O. Wesselink, Peter Stanwell, and James M. Elliott. 2024. "Reduced Cervical Muscle Fat Infiltrate Is Associated with Self-Reported Recovery from Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain Over Six Months: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Cohort Study" Journal of Clinical Medicine 13, no. 15: 4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154485

APA Style

Snodgrass, S. J., Weber, K. A., II, Wesselink, E. O., Stanwell, P., & Elliott, J. M. (2024). Reduced Cervical Muscle Fat Infiltrate Is Associated with Self-Reported Recovery from Chronic Idiopathic Neck Pain Over Six Months: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Longitudinal Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(15), 4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154485

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