Abdominal Thickness Research Articles

Reliability of Ultrasound Imaging of the Trunk Musculature in Athletes with and without Hamstring Injuries.

Trunk muscles play an important role in providing both mobility and stability during dynamic tasks in athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the within-day and between-day reliability of ultrasound (US) in measuring abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscle (MF) thickness in athletes with and without hamstring strain injury (HSI). Fifteen male soccer players (18-30 years old) with and without HSI were evaluated using two US probes (50 mm linear 7.5 MHZ and 70 mm curvilinear 5 MHz). The abdominal muscle thickness as well as the cross sectional area (CSA) of the MF was measured. To determine within and between days reliabilities, the second and third measurements were repeated with two hours and one week intervals, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients for athletes with and without HSI demonstrated good to high reliability for the abdominal muscle thickness (0.82 and 0.93) and CSA of the MF muscle (0.84 and 0.89, respectively). Our results indicated that US seemed to be a reliable instrument to measure abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscle thickness in soccer players with and without HSI. However, further studies are recommended to support the present study findings in other athletes.

Lateral Abdominal Muscle Symmetry And Risk Of Sports Injury In Baseball Players

Lateral abdominal muscles play a significant role in trunk control and rotation during baseball batting. Repetitive and unidirectional baseball batting could lead to asymmetric hypertrophy of lateral abdominal muscles. This adaptive change may subsequently impose abnormal loads on the spine and predispose baseball players to sports injury. No study has examined whether adolescent baseball players present lateral abdominal muscle asymmetry and its relationship with risk of sports injury. PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the thickness of lateral abdominal muscles on both sides of the trunk, and to investigate whether asymmetry of lateral abdominal muscle thickness was correlated with risk of sports injury in high school baseball players METHODS: Fifteen position players from a high school baseball team (right-handed batting and throwing; aged 16.0 ± 1.1 years, height 172.6 ± 5.0 cm, weight 73.3 ± 10.8 kg) completed the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) testing. B-mode ultrasound images were recorded from the external abdominal oblique (EO), internal abdominal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TA) at the end of expiration in the crook-lying position. The absolute thickness of each lateral abdominal muscle for both sides was determined and compared using paired t-tests. The relationship between the asymmetry ratio (difference between two sides expressed as a percent of the dominant side) and FMS composite score was analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The EO thickness was significantly greater in the dominant side than in the non-dominant side (6.85 ± 1.13 vs. 5.05 ± 1.46 mm, p < 0.001), and the TA thickness was significantly greater in the non-dominant side than in the dominant side (4.21 ± 0.85 vs. 3.49 ± 0.60 mm, p = 0.003). Only the asymmetry ratio of TA was significantly correlated with the FMS composite score (r = 0.54, p = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: High school baseball players showed side-to-side thickness asymmetry in the EO and TA. The significant correlation between the TA asymmetry ratio and FMS composite score suggests an increased risk of sports injury. High school baseball teams should consider integrating TA training into players’ routine training program. Supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (MOST 108-2410-H-006-098)

Pulmonary Function and Its Influence Factors of Healthy Adults

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting pulmonary functions of physical characteristics in adults 20 to 23 years aged. Methods: Twenty-four subjects(22.25±1.48) participated in the experiment. The pulmonary functions; FVC(forced vital capacity), FEV1(forced expiratory volume in one second), FEV1/FVC was measured using a portable spirometer, the abdominal muscle thickness was measured using ultrasound during inspiration and expiration, muscle strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer. Results: Changes in abdominal muscle thickness during respiration, and muscle strength in the upper extremity and neck were positively correlated with pulmonary functions(p<.05). Conclusion: Abdominal, upper extremity and neck exercises can be recommended as an intervention for improving pulmonary functions.

The Effect of Horse Riding Exercise Equipment Training Velocity on Abdominal Pressure in Healthy Adults Female

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to measure the change in abdominal pressure depending on the speed of the horse riding training exercise equipment. Methods: 27 women with an average age of 21.5 years, height of 164.66 cm, weight 55.07 kg, and body mass index of 21.59 kg/m² were divided into 3 groups, 9 subjects in each group, of low, medium, and high-speed training groups. Each training group was given three times a week during 6 weeks using a horse riding equipment for 20 minutes a day. Abdominal pressure was measured using a stabilizer. Results: Each group trained at low, medium, and high speed showed an increase in abdominal pressure(p<.001). However, comparing the difference in abdominal pressure between groups, the increase in abdominal pressure was higher in the medium and the high speed group than in the low speed group(p<.001). Conclusion: In order to increase the abdominal pressure, it was found that the medium and the high speed horse riding exercise training were more effective than the low speed. This increase in abdominal pressure is thought to affect the increased thickness of the deep abdominal muscles, resulting on trunk stabilization.

Transversus Abdominis Thickness at Rest and Exercise in Individuals with Poststroke Hemiparesis.

The activity of the transverse abdominal (TrA) muscle affects the stabilization of the trunk. It is known that after a stroke, people experience problems in performing daily activities. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences in the transversus abdominal thickness between the two sides of the body in individuals with hemiparesis and controls. Eight patients with hemiparesis and nine controls matched for age and body mass index were examined by musculoskeletal ultrasound in four conditions: a) At rest, b) abdominal hollowing maneuver from the supine position, c) bridge, and d) abdominal hollowing maneuver from the bridge position. In each of the above conditions, the symmetry index was calculated as the absolute value of the difference in thickness between the two sides. Analysis of variance showed a lower TrA thickness at rest and exercise in patients compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Further, patients showed a lower contraction thickness ratio during exercise compared to controls (p < 0.05). The absolute symmetry of the TrA thickness was 12.59 ± 6.43% to 19.31 ± 10.43% in patients and it was significantly greater than the control group (3.01 ± 2.47% to 4.47 ± 2.87%). According to the above results, it seems that transverse abdominal activation exercises are particularly useful for improving the stability of patients with hemiparesis, as long as they are located and adapted to the deficit of each patient.

The Relationship Between Low Back Pain Incidence and Ultrasound Assessment of Trunk Muscles in Adult Soccer Players: A Cohort Study

Background: Few studies have demonstrated the connection between trunk muscle thickness and low back pain (LBP) in athletes. Objectives: This study aimed to define whether the thickness of the lateral abdominal muscles (LAM) and lumbar multifidus (LM) are related to LBP incidence in elite male soccer players. Methods: In this short-term cohort study, 42 elite male soccer players from professional soccer teams were followed for a season. The muscle thickness of LAM and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the LM were assessed. The relation between the incidence of LBP and the aforementioned factors was evaluated after the cohort study. Results: Thirty-seven participants completed the study, and seven participants (18.91%) experienced LBP during the follow-up period. No significant relationship was detected between LBP and the thickness of LAM and CSA of LM (P &gt; 0.05). None of the other variables had any relationship with LBP incidence (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: The LAM thickness and CSA of LM during a resting position and drawing-in maneuver was found not to be directly related to LBP incidence in elite male soccer players in the short term. Assessing these muscles’ conditions in more functional positions could be considered for further research.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Stabilization Exercises Affects Transverse Abdominis Muscle Thickness in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Double-Blinded Randomized Trial Study

ObjectiveNonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) is a major public health and global socioeconomic burden with a variety of symptoms, such as fear-avoidance behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) associated with stabilization exercise (SE) on thickness of transverse abdominis (TrA) muscle in patients with NCLBP. MethodsForty patients with NCLBP were randomly assigned into experimental CBT associated with SE (n = 20) and control groups without SE (n = 20). Transverse abdominis muscle thickness was assessed during abdominal drawing in maneuver (ADIM) and active straight leg raise (ASLR) of the right lower limb using ultrasound imaging. Fear-avoidance belief and disability were evaluated using a fear-avoidance belief questionnaire (FABQ) and a Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ) before and after intervention. ResultsMixed-model analysis of variance indicated that the effect of time was significant for the right and left TrA contraction thickness during ADIM and left TrA contraction thickness during ASLR (P < .05). However, the experimental group exhibited higher right and left TrA muscle thickness compared with the control group during ADIM (P = .001). Moreover, there were no significant differences between groups in the thickness of TrA muscle during ASLR (P > .05). The effect of time was significant for FABQ (P = .02) and RMDQ (P = .01); however, the effect of group was significant for the FABQ after intervention (P = .04). ConclusionsStabilization exercise associated with CBT is more effective than SE alone in improving fear avoidance belief and in increasing the thickness of the TrA muscle during ADIM task.

Effects of Cesarean Section and Vaginal Delivery on Abdominal Muscles and Fasciae.

Background and objectives: Possible disorders after delivery may interfere with the quality of life. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether abdominal muscles and fasciae differ in women depending on whether they experienced transverse cesarean section (CS) or vaginal delivery (VA) in comparison with healthy nulliparous (NU). Materials and methods: The thicknesses of abdominal muscles and fasciae were evaluated by ultrasound in 13 CS, 10 VA, and 13 NU women (we examined rectus abdominis (RA); external oblique (EO); internal oblique (IO); transversus abdominis (TrA); total abdominal muscles (TAM = EO + IO + TrA); inter-rectus distance (IRD); thickness of linea alba (TLA); rectus sheath (RS), which includes anterior fascia of RS and posterior fascia of RS (P-RS); loose connective tissue between sublayers of P-RS (LCT); abdominal perimuscular fasciae (APF), which includes anterior fascia of EO, fasciae between EO, IO, and TrA, and posterior fascia of TrA). Data on pain intensity, duration, and location were collected. Results: Compared with NU women, CS women had wider IRD (p = 0.004), thinner left RA (p = 0.020), thicker right RS (p = 0.035) and APF (left: p = 0.001; right: p = 0.001), and IO dissymmetry (p = 0.009). VA women had thinner RA (left: p = 0.008, right: p = 0.043) and left TAM (p = 0.024), mainly due to left IO (p = 0.027) and RA dissymmetry (p = 0.035). However, CS women had thicker LCT (left: p = 0.036, right: p < 0.001), APF (left: p = 0.014; right: p = 0.007), and right IO (p = 0.028) than VA women. There were significant correlations between pain duration and the affected fasciae/muscles in CS women. Conclusions: CS women showed significant alterations in both abdominal fasciae and muscle thicknesses, whereas VA women showed alterations mainly in muscles. Thinner RA and/or dissymmetric IO, wider IRD, and thicker LCT and APF after CS may cause muscle deficits and alteration of fascial gliding, which may induce scar, abdominal, low back, and/or pelvic pain.

Ultra HD Liposuction: Enhancing Abdominal Etching Using Ultrasound-Guided Rectus Abdominis Fat Transfer (UGRAFT).

A prospective study with 10 consecutive patients undergoing UGRAFT was conducted. After HD liposuction, UGRAFT was performed from an incision in the umbilical region, using a blunt 2.5-mm cannula assisted by ultrasound. Fat injection was done closer to the anterior rectus sheath in the lower and middle muscle bellies. UGRAFT was performed in 10 patients. The mean age was 34.8 years (range, 24-51 years). The mean body mass index was 23.83 kg/m2 (range, 20.58-28.39 kg/m2). The mean volume of fat injected per "pack" was 34 cm3 (range, 20-40 cm3). UGRAFT added a mean time of 20 minutes (range, 15-30 minutes) to HD liposuction. Comparing the rectus abdominis muscle thickness pre-UGRAFT and post-UGRAFT, average muscle thickness increase was 5.1 mm (55.7% ± 37%), with P < 0.0001. UGRAFT showed to be helpful for obtaining muscle expansion and a more natural abdominal contour, avoiding that unnatural appearance that HD liposuction may provide in patients who gain weight or have skin laxity.

Effects of dynamic core-postural chain stabilization on diaphragm movement, abdominal muscle thickness, and postural control in patients with subacute stroke: A randomized control trial.

Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) and Dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS)-based exercise is effective for improving core stability and postural control in stroke patients. To compare the effects of DNS and conventional NDT exercises on diaphragm movement, abdominal muscle thickness, and postural control in stroke patients. The participants were randomly allocated into DNS (n = 16) and NDT (n = 15) for 30 minutes each per day, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Diaphragm movement and abdominal muscle thickness were determined using ultrasonography. The trunk impairment scale (TIS) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to measure postural control. The functional ambulation category (FAC) was used to evaluate gait ability. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate post-test differences in the DNS and NDT exercise groups. ANCOVA revealed the superior effects of DNS in diaphragm movement and abdominal muscle thickness (transversus abdominis, internal oblique), as well as clinical BBS and FAC tests, compared with those of NDT (p < 0.05). This novel clinical trial suggests that DNS training was more effective than NDT training in improving postural movement control and gait ability via a balanced co-activation of the diaphragm and TrA/IO in stroke patients.

The Vojta approach changes thicknesses of abdominal muscles and gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial, pilot study.

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have abnormal postures and gait patterns. Many physiotherapists use the Vojta approach as intervention for children with CP. However, its effects remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Vojta approach on abdominal muscles and gait in children with spastic CP. Thirteen children with spastic CP were randomly assigned to a general exercise and a Vojta approach group. The interventions were administered in 30 min sessions, 3 times a week for a total of 6 weeks. We used ultrasonography to measure the thicknesses of the abdominal muscles. The gait and foot pressure were measured by GAITRite. The Vojta approach group showed significant difference in the thicknesses of the rectus abdominis, and external oblique abdominal muscles, which are involved in trunk stability (p< 0.05). There were significant differences in the step width, functional ambulation profile, swing time, stance time, and single support % of cycle as well as foot pressure distribution (p< 0.05). The Vojta approach may be considered as an effective treatment method for improving trunk stability and gait functions of children with spastic CP.

Intraindividual variation of the transversus abdominis plane block: an exploratory study in healthy volunteers

IntroductionThe transversus abdominis plane block is widely used in postoperative pain management after abdominal surgery. However, large interindividual variation in the cutaneous distribution area of the block has been demonstrated....

우브 필라테스 vs 줌바 댄스 운동이 하부요로증상을 동반한 중년여성의 복부근 두께와 복부비만에 미치는 영향

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to verify a more helpful methodo fr improving lower urinary tract symptoms, by applying to middle-aged women with lower urinaryr atct symptoms the Oov Pilates, which directly stimulates abdominal muscles, and the Zumba dance exercsie, which is aerobic whole-body exercise, and comparatively analyzing their effects on abdominal muscle thickness and abdominal obesity that are associated with urinary incontinence.BR Method: The study was conducted on middle-aged woman aged 40-50 yearsw ith lower urinary tract symptoms in City S. A total of 50 women participated in the sdtuy the Oov pilates group(OPEG=17), Zumba exercise group(ZEG=16) and for the control group(CG=17) with incontinence symptoms. Oov pilates and Zumba exercise was implemented, respectively, for 60 minutes, 3 times a week, for 8 weeks before measuring abdominal muscle thickness, waist circumference, and WHR were comparatively analyzed before and after the exercise.BR Results: The results of this study are as follows: 1) Among changes in abdominal muscle thickness significant between-group differences were found in the RA muscle (p＜.001), EO muscle (p＜.01), IO muscle (p＜.01) and TrA muscle (p＜.001) which significantly decreased among the Zumba exercise group. 2) As for changes in body circumference, significant between-group differences were found in waist circumference (p＜.001), WHR (p＜.001), which decreased in both Oov Pilates group and Zumba exercise group.BR Conclusion: In summary, the above results suggest that both Oov Pilates adn Zumba dance exercise are effective exercise methods for middle-aged women with lower urinary tract symptoms. Yet, given that abdominal muscle weakening and abdominal obesity are risk factors that aggravate lower urinary tract symptoms, the Oov Pilates exercise, which showed positive changes in both variables, is presumably a better intervention strategy for alleviating symptoms.

Determining patient abdomen thickness from a single digital radiograph with a computational model: clinical results from a proof of concept study.

A computational model has been created to estimate the abdominal thickness of a patient following an X-ray examination; its intended application is assisting with patient dose audit of paediatric X-ray examinations. This work evaluates the accuracy of the computational model in a clinical setting for adult patients undergoing anteroposterior (AP) abdomen X-ray examinations. The model estimates patient thickness using the radiographic image, the exposure factors with which the image was acquired, a priori knowledge of the characteristics of the X-ray unit and detector and the results of extensive Monte Carlo simulation of patient examinations. For 20 patients undergoing AP abdominal X-ray examinations, the model was used to estimate the patient thickness; these estimates were compared against a direct measurement made at the time of the examination. Estimates of patient thickness made using the model were on average within ±5.8% of the measured thickness. The model can be used to accurately estimate the thickness of a patient undergoing an AP abdominal X-ray examination where the patient's size falls within the range of the size of patients used to create the computational model. This work demonstrates that it is possible to accurately estimate the AP abdominal thickness of an adult patient using the digital X-ray image and a computational model.

The Relationship Between Trunk Muscle Thickness and Static Postural Balance in Older Adults.

Trunk muscles are required for safety of movement in aging. The authors aimed to investigate the relationship between trunk muscle thickness and the static postural balance in older adults. A total of 31 females and 23 males with a mean age of 73.39 ± 6.09 completed the study. The thickness of the trunk muscles was determined with ultrasound imaging. Postural balance was assessed with force plate. There was a positive weak correlation between right and left upper rectus abdominis muscle thickness and anterior stability area (p < .05, r > .3). The negative and moderate correlation was determined between the left lower rectus abdominis and the perturbated stability sway value (p < .01, r > .5). The increase in trunk muscle thickness in older adults increases the postural stability area and decreases the postural sway especially in the mediolateral direction.

Diagnostic values of abdominal muscles thickness and sterno-costal angle for young adults with rounded shoulders

Objective: The purposes of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic values of abdominal muscles thickness and sterno-costal angle as the quantitative...

The Relationship Between Abdominal Subcutan Fat Tissue Thickness and HbA1c in Pregnant Women

Objective: Obesity is a very common and important health problem and it has become widespread all over the world. Fat tissue is one of the major endocrine organs. Subcutaneous adipose tissue is associated with many diseases such as coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, impaired lipid profile. Pregnancy is a special condition with metabolic changes involving all systems. We aimed to investigate the relationship and correlation between abdominal fat and HbA1c because of the specific metabolic conditions in pregnancy.Study Design: This is a retrospective study. Ninety-nine (n=99) pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 40 were included in the present study. They have not any other chronic diseases. Ultrasonography was performed between 16.-28. weeks. Abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue was measured during 16-28 weeks of pregnancy. Routine biochemical parameters and HbA1c were evaluated.Results: Subcutaneous fat tissue had a positive correlation with metabolic parameters such as weight and BMI, and a negative correlation with vitamin D level. There is a positive strong correlation with HbA1c level. There was not any correlation between HbA1c and metabolic parameters like triglyceride, LDL, HDL, and cholesterol.Conclusion: There was a strong positive correlation between abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue thickness and HbA1c. However, we didn’t find any correlation between infant weight and metabolic parameters.

MRI and CT Assessment of Abdominal Tissue Composition in Patients After High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Therapy Treatments: One-Year Follow-Up.

Several studies investigating high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) treatments have recently been published. However, due to the novelty of the procedure, long-term data are still missing. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in abdominal tissues on average 1 year after a series of HIFEM treatments, to determine the long-term durability of patients' original body responses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scanning were performed on 21 patients a mean of 332.6 [88.5] days after their original HIFEM treatment series. The scans were evaluated by a blinded radiologist for abdominal muscle thickness, subcutaneous fat changes, and abdominal separation. The results were compared with the MRI/CT-assisted measurements taken at baseline and 6-week follow-up. Correlations between collected data sets were calculated and tested. The incidence of any adverse events related to earlier treatments was monitored. When comparing the 1-year follow-up measurements with the baseline, the MRI/CT-assisted calculations revealed mean reductions of 14.63% (2.97 [2.11] mm) in fat, 19.05% (1.89 [0.88] mm) in muscle thickening, and 10.46% (1.96 [1.71] mm) in diastasis recti. All changes were significant (P < 0.05) and not related to weight fluctuations (P > 0.05). The baseline width of diastasis positively correlated with the degree of improvement at follow-up. No adverse events were reported. The HIFEM-induced muscle hypertrophy, fat reduction, and reduction in abdominal separation were maintained 1-year posttreatment. This suggests long-term durability of the original bodily response, which needs to be verified by continuing follow-up of this group and by further studies.

Comparison of Abdominal Muscle Thickness Using Ultrasound Imaging During Bridging Exercises With a Sling and Ball in Healthy Young Adults

Comparison of Abdominal Muscle Thickness Using Ultrasound Imaging During Bridging Exercises With a Sling and Ball in Healthy Young Adults

Muscle Thickness During Core Stability Exercises in Children and Adults.

Core stability exercises are regular part of exercise programs for asymptomatic individuals across ages. The purpose of this study was to examine deep abdominal and multifidus muscle thickness in children and adults and to determine reliability of the rehabilitative ultrasound (RUSI) imaging. Transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus thickness at rest and during core stability exercise were examined in pre-pubertal children (N = 23), adolescents (N = 20), young adults (N = 21) and middle-aged adults (N = 22). Thirty-nine participants were re-tested one week after to establish reliability. Muscle thickness at rest was lower in children and adolescents compared with young and middle-aged adults (p < 0.008). Young adults displayed the highest relative transversus abdominis thickness upon contraction (p < 0.008). Lumbar multfidus contraction thickness was greater in young-adults than middle-aged adults and pre-pubertal children (p < 0.008), but it was similar between young-adults and adolescents (p > 0.008). Reliability was high for both muscles (ICC3,3 = 0.76 - 0.99). The age-related differences in muscle thickness indicate that core stability exercises may be beneficial for children and middle-aged adults.