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POS1488-HPR (2025)
MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF LUMBOPELVIC MUSCLES AND RELATION TO PAIN AND FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
Keywords: Imaging, Physical therapy, Physiotherapy, And Physical Activity, Fatigue, Pain, Ultrasound
Y. Mirza, F. Sari, P. D. Yilmaz, A. Kucuk
1Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Konya, Türkiye
2Bingöl University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bingöl, Türkiye
3Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of Radiology, Konya, Türkiye
4Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of Internal Medicine, Konya, Türkiye

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of the most common causes of chronic widespread pain. It may negatively affect the lumbopelvic muscles, is an important part of the body, in FM patients due to chronic pain, fatigue, cytokines and immobility [1, 2]. However, the precise manner in which morphological properties of lumbopelvic muscles in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) are affected remains unclear.


Objectives: The aim of present study was to compare lumbopelvic muscle morphological properties evaluated with ultrasonographic (US) imaging in patients with FM and asymptomatic individuals and to examine the relationship between lumbopelvic muscle thickness and endurance, pain and fatigue.


Methods: Women with FM group (n: 53, age: 45.96±9.96 years), and asymptomatic control group (n: 49, age: 45.12±7.28), were included in this study. Pain severity, fatique, lumbopelvic muscle morphology and endurance were evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), US imaging and McGill core endurance tests, respectively.


Results: The lumbar multifidus (LM) and internal oblique muscle thicknesses, lumbopelvic muscle endurance were lower in FM group compared to the asymptomatic group (p<0.005). No statistically significant differences were found in other abdominal muscle thicknesses between the two groups (p>0.05) (Table 1). LM muscle thickness was significantly correlated with lumbopelvic muscle endurance, pain and fatique (p<0.001) (Table 2).


Conclusion: Lumbopelvic muscle thickness and endurance in FM patients have been affected negatively. Furthermore, lumbopelvic muscle thickness is associated with endurance, pain and fatique in patients with FM. These findings should be considered in management of FM.


REFERENCES: [1] Park JH, Niermann KJ, Olsen N. Evidence for metabolic abnormalities in the muscles of patients with fibromyalgia. Current Rheumatology Reports 2000; 2(2): 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-000-0053-3 .

[2] Mirza Y, Küçük A. Association of Kinesiophobia with Core Muscle Endurance, Functional Mobility and Physical Activity Level in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study. Mevlana Medical Sciences 2024; 4(2): 85–91.

Comparison of FM patients and healthy control

Parameters FM group (n = 53) Control group (n = 49) p-value
Physical and demographic characteristics
Age (years) 45.96±9.96 45.12±7.28 0.581 a
BMI (kg/m 2 ) 29.37 (22.64/32.44) 28.77 (25.45/31.66) 0.451 b
Clinical parameters
Disease duration (years) 5 (2/8) - -
Painkiller use, n (%) 35 (66) - -
Pain (VAS) 8 (5/8) - -
FSS (score) 4.88 (4/5.49) - -
Lumbopelvic muscle thickness
External Oblique (mm) 4.75±1.06 4.93±0.96 0.385 a
Internal Oblique (mm) 4.76±1.02 5 (4.5/6.4) 0.013 *b
Transversus Abdominis (mm) 3.85±0.78 3.89±0.96 0.801 a
Lumbar Multifidus (mm) 11.92±1.46 16.25 (15.42/18.37) <0.001 **b
Lumbopelvic muscle endurance
Trunk flexor muscle endurance test (sec) 8.73 (5.58/14.3) 28.01 (23.63/30) <0.001**b
Trunk extensor muscle endurance test (sec) 8.92 (5.73/12.57) 29.54±2.89 <0.001 **b
Right trunk lateral flexor muscle endurance (sec) 10.5 (6.04/15.42) 30 (30/30) <0.001 **b
Left trunk lateral flexor muscle endurance test (sec) 10.37 (6.66/14.85) 30 (30/30) <0.001 **b

Independent sample t test, b Mann–Whitney U test, IQR 25/75: Interquartile range 25/75, M: mean, SD: standard deviation

FM: Fibromyalgia, BMI: Body-mass index, VAS: Visual Analog Scale, FSS: Fatigue Severity Scale

*p<0.05, **p<0.001.

Correlations between lumbopelvic muscle thickness and endurance and clinical features in FM patients

Lumbopelvic muscle thickness
n: 53 External Oblique Internal Oblique Transversus Abdominis Lumbar Multifidus
rho p rho p rho p rho p
Trunk flexor muscle endurance 0.270 0.368 0.272 0.429
0.051 0.007 0.049 0.001
Trunk extensor muscle endurance 0.215 0.250 0.249 0.389
0.122 0.071 0.072 0.004
Right trunk lateral flexor muscle endurance 0.297 0.319 0.111 0.394
0.031 0.020 0.429 0.003
Left trunk lateral flexor muscle endurance 0.292 0.266 0.082 0.384
0.034 0.054 0.559 0.004
Pain -0.205 -0.268 -0.101 -0.754
0.040 a 0.007 a 0.313 a <0.001 a
FSS -0.086 -0.039 -0.039 -0.426
0.538 0.780 0.780 0.001

rho: Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, a Pearson correlations analyze.

FM: Fibromyalgia, FSS: Fatigue Severity Scale.


Acknowledgements: NIL .


Disclosure of Interests: None declared.

© The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.

DOI: annrheumdis-2025-eular.C74
Keywords: Imaging, Physical therapy, Physiotherapy, And Physical Activity, Fatigue, Pain, Ultrasound
Citation: , volume 84, supplement 1, year 2025, page 1486
Session: Poster View VI (Poster View)