Abstract :Background: Morphological changes in core muscles in patients with lumbar radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation are little known.
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare morphological changes of transverse abdominus and diaphragm in patients with lumbar disc herniation and healthy controls via ultrasound imaging measurements.
Design: Case-Control study.
Setting: University research laboratory.
Participants: 15 patients with more than 1 month of lumbar radiculopathy due to disc herniation and 15 healthy matched (for body mass index, age, and gender) control subjects.
Methods: Ultrasonographic measurements of transverse abdominus and diaphragm were performed during resting and contracted state in the two groups. Associations between pain intensity and contraction ratio was also evaluated.