European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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The anatomic proof of a spinal compartment and the clinical symptoms of compartment syndrome in patients with chronic back pain are inconsistent with the rarely met measuring criteria of intramuscular pressure (IMP). Previous studies assume a dependence of the IMP on spinal alignment (degree of lumbar spine flexion) and the degree of muscle activation. The significance of these disturbance variables in the interpretation of IMP could explain the above discrepancy. ⋯ To sum up, it can be said that IMP was subject to great interindividual variation in all the experiments. This parameter is highly dependent on spinal alignment and muscular activity. Further studies are needed so that the IMP can be interpreted properly when diagnosing a chronic compartment of the erector spinae muscles.