Exploring the Impact of Cervical Multifidus Muscle Morphology on Postural Balance in Post-Stroke Patients: A pilot study

The aim of this study was to examine cervical multifidus muscle morphology and its impact on postural balance in post-stroke patients. This is a pilot study. A convenience sample of 24 volunteers of 67 ± 8.5 years (12 with hemiparesis due to post-stroke, 12 healthy) was recruited for this study. The outcomes measured were the thickness of the multifidus muscle using ultrasonography, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Berg Balance scale (BBS). No significant differences in the ultrasound values between affected and unaffected sides in post-stroke patients were found. Similarly, there were no significant differences between the unaffected side of post-stroke patients and the dominant side of the control group, (p > 0.05). Additionally, no significant correlations in post-stroke patients between the ultrasonographic variables of the multifidus muscles and the main outcome were identified. In conclusion, our study did not find significant differences in cervical multifidus muscle morphology between healthy individuals and post-stroke patients in relation to postural balance. The exploratory nature of our study limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Keywords: Stroke; Ultrasonography; Postural balance; Multifidus; Cervical muscle