Mri-based assessment of cervical muscle morphology in women with disc herniation: A retrospective case-control study

CDH in women is linked to a distinct change in cervical muscle morphology, which suggests a hypothetical model of hierarchical muscular adaptation in CDH, characterized by atrophy of the deep stabilizers, hypertrophy of the transitional modulators, and hypertrophy of the superficial muscles. Prospective longitudinal studies are warranted to validate this conceptual framework and to determine its clinical implications.