Lumbar multifidus muscle morphology is associated with low back-related pain duration, disability, and leg pain: A cross-sectional study in secondary care.

Patients with higher lumbar multifidus muscle quality reported lower levels of low back pain-related disability and leg pain intensity, indicating that muscle quality may play a role in the etiology of lumbar spine disorders. However, the clinical importance of these associations is uncertain due to the low magnitude of identified associations. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the effect of lumbar multifidus muscle quality on lumbar-related pain and disability.