Quantitative MRI Assessment of Paraspinal Muscles using T2 mapping and IDEAL‑IQ in Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain in Young Adults

Motivation: Diagnosis of chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) has largely relied on subjective symptom assessment, lacking comprehensive pathological insights. Goal(s): To evaluate the effectiveness of T2 values and fat fraction (FF) measurements in identifying muscle pathology. Approach: 107 participants prospectively underwent T2 mapping and IDEAL-IQ to measure T2 values and FF in the multifidus and erector spinae. Results: The results showed significant differences in T2 values and FF at the L4 and L5 levels, achieving high diagnostic accuracy (AUC=91.81%) in detecting CNLBP. This approach offers a promising non-invasive tool for early diagnosis and targeted preventive treatment of unilateral symptoms in CNLBP patients. Impact: This study highlights the potential of T2 mapping and fat fraction (FF) for detecting early pathological changes in paraspinal muscles of young adults with CNLBP, offering a non-invasive tool to improve early diagnosis and therapy.