{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T11:51:22Z","timestamp":1780487482979,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Human Kinetics","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Radiofrequency ablation of the medial branch is commonly used to treat chronic low back pain involving facet joints, which accounts for 12% to 37% of the total cases of chronic low back pain. An adverse effect of this procedure is the denervation of the multifidus muscle, which may lead to its atrophy which can affect the spine and possibly disc degeneration. This study aims to quantify changes in joint angles and loading caused by multifidus denervation after radiofrequency ablation. AnyBody model of the torso was used to evaluate intervertebral joints in flexion, lateral bending, and torsion. Force-dependent kinematics was used to calculate joint angles and forces. These dependent variables were investigated in intact multifidus, unilateral, and bilateral ablations of L3L4, L4L5, and L5S1 joints. The results showed pronounced angular joint changes, especially in bilateral ablations in flexion, when compared with other cases. The same changes\u2019 trend from intact to unilaterally then bilaterally ablated multifidus occurred in joint angles of lateral bending. Meanwhile, joint forces were not adversely affected. These results suggest that multifidus denervation after radiofrequency ablation affects spinal mechanics. Such changes may be associated with abnormal tissue deformations and stresses that can potentially alter their mechanobiology and homeostasis, thereby possibly affecting the health of the spine.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1123\/jab.2022-0258","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,29]],"date-time":"2023-08-29T07:12:14Z","timestamp":1693293134000},"page":"414-420","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Multifidus Denervation After Radiofrequency Ablation of the Medial Nerve Alters the Biomechanics of the Spine\u2014A Computational Study"],"prefix":"10.1123","volume":"39","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0490-320X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Faris A.","family":"Almalki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Department, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel H.","family":"Cortes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Department, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"100","reference":[{"issue":"17","key":"r1","series-title":"Spine","first-page":"1860","article-title":"The Saskatchewan health and back pain survey: the prevalence of low back pain and related disability in Saskatchewan adults","volume":"23","author":"Cassidy JD","year":"1998","unstructured":"Cassidy JD, Carroll LJ, C\u00f4t\u00e9 P. 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