The Geography of Fatty Infiltrates Within the Cervical Multifidus and Semispinalis Cervicis in Individuals With Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders

Study Design Cross-sectional. Objectives To quantify the magnitude and distribution of muscle fat infiltration (MFI) within the cervical multifidus and semispinalis cervicis muscles in participants with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) compared to those who have fully recovered from a whiplash injury and healthy controls. Background Previous research has established the presence of increased MFI throughout the cervical extensor muscles of individuals with WAD when compared to healthy controls. These changes appear to be greater in the deepest muscles (eg, multifidus and semispinalis cervicis) than in the more superficial muscles. A detailed analysis of the distribution of MFI within these deep extensor muscles in chronic WAD, recovered, and control groups would provide a foundation for further investigation of specific mechanisms, etiologies, and targets for treatments. Methods Fifteen participants (WAD, n = 5; recovered, n = 5; and control, n = 5) were studied using a 3-D fat-water separation...