Background: Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease, resulting in bone pain and fragility fractures. This study sought to explore the ultrasonic characteristics of core muscles in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
Methods: A total of 91 participants underwent ultrasound examinations of the lumbar and abdominal core muscles. The participants were divided into the following two groups: group 1 (the normal control group, comprising 20 participants, aged 25-35 years); and the osteoporosis group (comprising 71 participants). The participants in the osteoporosis group were further divided into the following three groups: group II (comprising 20 participants, aged 50-59 years); group III (comprising 30 participants, aged 60-69 years); and group IV (comprising 21 participants, aged 70-87 years). The 2-dimensional (2D) sonographic manifestations, thickness and gray values of the core muscles of the lumbar and abdomen were observed, and a further analysis was conducted that included the bone density of the lumbar vertebrae results.
Results: Compared to the control group, the total thickness of the core muscles in the osteoporosis group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the gray values were significantly increased (P<0.05). The comparison of the osteoporosis groups showed that in relation to the total thickness of the core muscle, group II > group III > group IV (P<0.05). The 2D ultrasonography showed that the muscles of the participants in group I were full and had an equally low echo. Conversely, in the osteoporosis group, the muscles of the participants were less full, the echo was enhanced, the boundary between the muscle and the fascia was unclear, and the long axis of the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis tracts were wavy and linear, with reduced tension.
Conclusions: In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, the core muscles of the waist and abdomen are degenerative, which can be evaluated with ultrasonography via the echo, thickness, and gray value of the muscles.
Keywords: Ultrasonography; core muscles; dual-energy X-ray absorption method (DXA method); osteoporosis.