MR Elastography-Based Slip Interface Imaging for Assessment of Myofascial Interface Mobility in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Abnormal restrictions at myofascial interfaces are a key factor in chronic low back pain (CLBP) with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), but no established imaging method exists for quantitative assessment. This pilot study evaluated the clinical feasibility of MR elastography (MRE)-based slip interface imaging (SII) for visualizing myofascial mobility in CLBP-MPS patients versus age-/sex-/BMI-matched healthy participants. A new SII biomarker, maximal normalized displacement discontinuity ( Dnorm$$ {D}_{norm} $$ ), was introduced, and the previously developed normalized octahedral shear strain (NOSS) map was used for comparison. Preliminary assessments of vibration-frequency effects, repeatability, and group differences in inter-muscular mobility were conducted.

Methods

SUBMITTER: Hojo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12767508 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature