-
Anesthesia and Analgesia Sep 1987The decrease in end-expiratory lung volume after upper abdominal surgery has been attributed, in part, to reflex spasm of the abdominal muscles. To examine the influence...
The decrease in end-expiratory lung volume after upper abdominal surgery has been attributed, in part, to reflex spasm of the abdominal muscles. To examine the influence of abdominal surgery on abdominal muscle tone, electromyographic (EMG) activity of abdominal and lower intercostal muscle was compared before operation with that at 3 hr and at 24 hr after operation in 18 healthy patients undergoing elective gastric or biliary surgery. After operation, EMG activity increased markedly and showed a phasic pattern of activity associated with respiration in most patients. This was characterized by a progressive increase in EMG activity during expiration with an abrupt decrease at the onset of inspiration. We conclude that increased expiratory activity in abdominal and lower intercostal muscle may be responsible for the decrease in lung volumes that occurs after upper abdominal surgery.
Topics: Abdomen; Abdominal Muscles; Cholecystectomy; Electromyography; Female; Gastrectomy; Humans; Intercostal Muscles; Lung Volume Measurements; Male; Postoperative Period; Posture; Respiration; Vagotomy
PubMed: 2956907
DOI: No ID Found -
Hernia : the Journal of Hernias and... Aug 2011The decrease in recurrence rates in ventral hernia surgery have led to a redirection of focus towards other important patient-related endpoints. One such endpoint is...
BACKGROUND
The decrease in recurrence rates in ventral hernia surgery have led to a redirection of focus towards other important patient-related endpoints. One such endpoint is abdominal wall function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reliability and external validity of abdominal wall strength measurement using the Biodex System-4 with a back abdomen unit.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Ten healthy volunteers and ten patients with ventral hernias exceeding 10 cm were recruited. Test-retest reliability, both with and without girdle, was evaluated by comparison of measurements at two test occasions 1 week apart. Reliability was calculated by the interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) method. Validity was evaluated by correlation with the well-established International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a self-assessment of abdominal wall strength.
RESULTS
One person in the healthy group was excluded after the first test due to neck problems following minor trauma. The reliability was excellent (>0.75), with ICC values between 0.92 and 0.97 for the different modalities tested. No differences were seen between testing with and without a girdle. Validity was also excellent both when calculated as correlation to self-assessment of abdominal wall strength, and to IPAQ, giving Kendall tau values of 0.51 and 0.47, respectively, and corresponding P values of 0.002 and 0.004.
CONCLUSION
Measurement of abdominal muscle function using the Biodex System-4 is a reliable and valid method to assess this important patient-related endpoint. Further investigations will be made to explore the potential of this technique in the evaluation of the results of ventral hernia surgery, and to compare muscle function after different abdominal wall reconstruction techniques.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Aged; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Female; Hernia, Ventral; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Strength; Muscle Strength Dynamometer; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 21380564
DOI: 10.1007/s10029-011-0805-1 -
Journal of Manipulative and... May 2017The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the differences in abdominal musculature thickness, within 1 month of delivery, in women who experienced back pain... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the differences in abdominal musculature thickness, within 1 month of delivery, in women who experienced back pain during pregnancy compared with those who did not.
METHODS
B-mode ultrasound imaging was used to measure abdominal muscle thickness on 76 postpartum participants who participated in a larger study; 47 women experienced back pain during pregnancy, and 29 did not. Participant data were stratified by group, and primary comparisons were based on these grouping across the abdominal muscles, including rectus abdominis (upper and lower fibers), external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis. Means and standard deviations were also used to set parameters for future studies.
RESULTS
In the present study, there was no difference in any abdominal muscle thickness between groups. Women with low back pain were significantly shorter (165.19 ± 6.64 cm) than women who did not have from back pain during pregnancy (169.38 ± 7.58 cm). All other demographics, such as age, weight, and date tested postpartum, were not significantly different between groups.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study showed no variation in abdominal muscle thickness in women who had back pain during pregnancy and those who did not.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Low Back Pain; Pain Measurement; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Reference Values; Risk Assessment; Ultrasonography, Doppler
PubMed: 28410762
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.02.002 -
Neurourology and Urodynamics 2006Activation of the abdominal muscles might contribute to the generation of a strong pelvic floor muscle contraction, and consequently may contribute to the continence...
AIM
Activation of the abdominal muscles might contribute to the generation of a strong pelvic floor muscle contraction, and consequently may contribute to the continence mechanism in women. The purpose of this study was to determine the abdominal muscle activation levels and the patterns of muscle activity associated with voluntary pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contractions in urinary continent women.
METHODS
Fifteen healthy continent women participated. They performed three maximal contractions of each of the four abdominal muscles and of their PFMs while in supine. Abdominal and PFM activity was recorded using electromyography (EMG), and intravaginal pressure was recorded using a custom modified Femiscan probe.
RESULTS
During voluntary maximal PFM contractions, rectus abdominus was activated to 9.61 (+/-7.42)% maximal voluntary electrical activity (MVE), transversus abdominus was activated to 224.30(+/-47.4)% MVE, the external obliques were activated to 18.72(+/-13.33)% MVE, and the internal obliques were activated to 81.47(+/-63.57)% MVE. A clear pattern of activation emerged, whereby the transversus abdominus, internal oblique, and rectus abdominus muscles worked with the PFM in the initial generation of maximal intravaginal pressure. PFM activity predominated in the initial rise in lower vaginal pressure, with later increases in pressure (up to 70% maximum pressure) being associated with the combined activation of the PFM, rectus abdominus, internal obliques, and transverses abdominus. These abdominal muscles were the primary source of intravaginal pressure increases in the latter 30% of the task, whereas there was little increase in PFM activation from this point on. The external oblique muscles showed no clear pattern of activity, but worked at approximately 20% MVE throughout the PFM contractions, suggesting that their role may be predominantly in postural setting prior to the initiation of intravaginal pressure increases.
CONCLUSIONS
Defined patterns of abdominal muscle activity were found in response to voluntary PFM contractions in healthy continent women.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Algorithms; Biomechanical Phenomena; Calibration; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Skeletal; Pelvic Floor; Pressure; Reference Values; Vagina
PubMed: 16817184
DOI: 10.1002/nau.20285 -
Journal of Sport Rehabilitation Sep 2023Bridge exercises are extensively used in trunk-strengthening programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bridging duration on lateral abdominal...
CONTEXT
Bridge exercises are extensively used in trunk-strengthening programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bridging duration on lateral abdominal muscle thickness and gluteus maximus activation.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional.
METHODS
Twenty-five young males participated in this study. Transversus abdominal (TrA), external and internal oblique ultrasound thickness, gluteus maximus electromyographic activation, and sacral tilt angle were simultaneously measured for every second during 30-second bridging exercise. The contraction thickness ratio and root mean squared signal (normalized to maximum isometric contraction signal) during 6 exercise durations (from 0 to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 s) were also calculated and compared using analysis of variance designs.
RESULTS
TrA and internal oblique contraction thickness ratio and gluteus maximus root mean squared increased during the first 8 to 10 seconds and remained elevated until the end of the 30-second exercise (P < .05). External oblique contraction thickness ratio declined during exercise (P < .05). Five-second bridging showed less TrA thickness and anteroposterior and mediolateral sacral tilt angle and a lower anteroposterior tilt variability compared with bridges, which lasted more than 10 seconds (P < .05).
CONCLUSIONS
Bridge exercises longer than 10 seconds may be better for promoting TrA recruitment than bridges of shorter duration. Clinicians and exercise specialists could adjust the duration of bridge exercise based on the aims of the exercise program.
Topics: Male; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electromyography; Muscle, Skeletal; Abdominal Muscles; Thigh; Exercise Therapy; Muscle Contraction
PubMed: 37225173
DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2022-0286 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Feb 2021The maximal abdominal contraction maneuver (MACM) was designed as an effective and efficient breathing exercise to increase the stability of the spinal joint. However,...
The maximal abdominal contraction maneuver (MACM) was designed as an effective and efficient breathing exercise to increase the stability of the spinal joint. However, it has not been determined whether MACM is more effective and efficient than the maximal expiration method. Thus, the present study was undertaken to investigate whole abdominal muscle thickness changes after MACM. Thirty healthy subjects (17 males and 13 females) participated in this study. An experimental comparison between MACM and the maximal expiration task was conducted by measuring the change of abdominal muscle thickness such as the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO) and rectus abdominis (RA) using ultrasound images. The results indicated that MACM resulted in significantly greater muscle thickness increases of the TrA and RA than the maximal expiration exercise ( < 0.05). MACM provided better exercise than the maximal expiration exercise in terms of increasing spine stability, at least from a co-contraction perspective.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Breathing Exercises; Exercise; Female; Humans; Male; Muscle Contraction; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 33540623
DOI: 10.3390/medicina57020129 -
Reproductive Sciences (Thousand Oaks,... Mar 2017To record and characterize electromyography (EMG) from the uterus and abdominal muscles during the nonlabor to first and second stages of labor and to define...
OBJECTIVE
To record and characterize electromyography (EMG) from the uterus and abdominal muscles during the nonlabor to first and second stages of labor and to define relationships to contractions.
METHODS
Nulliparous patients without any treatments were used (n = 12 nonlabor stage, 48 during first stage and 33 during second stage). Electromyography of both uterine and abdominal muscles was simultaneously recorded from electrodes placed on patients' abdominal surface using filters to separate uterine and abdominal EMG. Contractions of muscles were also recorded using tocodynamometry. Electromyography was characterized by analysis of various parameters.
RESULTS
During the first stage of labor, when abdominal EMG is absent, uterine EMG bursts temporally correspond to contractions. In the second stage, uterine EMG bursts usually occur at same frequency as groups of abdominal bursts and precede abdominal bursts, whereas abdominal EMG bursts correspond to contractions and are accompanied by feelings of "urge to push." Uterine EMG increases progressively from nonlabor to second stage of labor.
CONCLUSIONS
(1) Uterine EMG activity can be separated from abdominal EMG events by filtering. (2) Uterine EMG gradually evolves from the antepartum stage to the first and second stages of labor. (3) Uterine and abdominal EMG reflect electrical activity of the muscles during labor and are valuable to assess uterine and abdominal muscle events that control labor. (4) During the first stage of labor uterine, EMG is responsible for contractions, and during the second stage, both uterine and abdominal muscle participate in labor.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Labor, Obstetric; Myometrium; Parity; Pregnancy; Uterine Contraction
PubMed: 27436367
DOI: 10.1177/1933719116658704 -
Physical Therapy in Sport : Official... Nov 2011To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVE
To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls.
DESIGN
A case control study design.
SETTING
University laboratory.
SUBJECTS
16 female Thai national weightlifters and 16 matched controls participated in this study.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Ultrasound imaging with a 12-MHz linear array was used to measure the resting thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO) and total thickness (Total) of lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) on the right side of abdominal wall. The absolute muscle thickness and the relative contribution of each muscle to the total thickness were determined.
RESULTS
Weightlifters had significantly thicker absolute TrA and IO muscles than matched controls (p < 0.01). Further, the relative thickness of the IO was significantly greater in weightlifters than matched controls (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that routine Olympic style weight training among female weightlifters appears to result in preferential hypertrophy or adaptation of the IO muscle.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adaptation, Physiological; Adolescent; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Isometric Contraction; Muscle Hypertonia; Muscle, Skeletal; Resistance Training; Statistics as Topic; Ultrasonography; Weight Lifting; Young Adult
PubMed: 22085710
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2011.02.002 -
Journal of Electromyography and... Jun 2016It has been shown that under isometric conditions, as the activity of the abdominal muscles increases, the thicknesses of the muscles also increase. The purpose of this...
In a dynamic lifting task, the relationship between cross-sectional abdominal muscle thickness and the corresponding muscle activity is affected by the combined use of a weightlifting belt and the Valsalva maneuver.
It has been shown that under isometric conditions, as the activity of the abdominal muscles increases, the thicknesses of the muscles also increase. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether change in muscle thickness could be used as a measure of muscle activity during a deadlift as well as determining the effect of a weightlifting belt and/or the Valsalva maneuver on the muscle thicknesses. The Transversus Abdominis (TrA) and Internal Obliques (IO) muscles were analyzed at rest and during a deadlift. Muscle thickness was measured using ultrasound imaging and muscle activity was simultaneously recorded using electromyography. Each subject performed deadlift under normal conditions, while performing the Valsalva maneuver, while wearing a weightlifting belt and while both utilizing the belt and the Valsalva maneuver. There was no relationship between change in muscle thickness and muscle activity for both the TrA and IO (R(2)<0.13 for all conditions). However it was found that the Valsalva maneuver increased abdominal muscle thickness whereas the belt limited muscle expansion; each with an increase in activity. These results indicate that ultrasound cannot be used to measure muscle activity for a deadlift and that the belt affects how the IO and TrA function together.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Muscle Contraction; Orthotic Devices; Valsalva Maneuver; Weight Lifting
PubMed: 27093137
DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2016.03.006 -
International Journal of Rehabilitation... Jun 2024Complete thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a loss of innervation to the abdominal muscles, which affects trunk stability and performance of activities of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of electromyography triggered electrical stimulation to abdominal muscles on sitting balance, respiratory functions, and abdominal muscle thickness in complete spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.
Complete thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a loss of innervation to the abdominal muscles, which affects trunk stability and performance of activities of daily living from a sitting position. Respiratory function is also affected, leading to frequent pulmonary complications. Given the importance of trunk stability and respiratory function, we investigated the effects of electromyography triggered electrical stimulation (EMG-ES) applied to the abdominal muscles on sitting balance, respiratory functions and abdominal muscle thickness in individuals with complete thoracic SCI. This randomized controlled study included 34 participants with complete thoracic SCI who were randomly allocated to the experimental group ( n = 17) and the control group ( n = 17). During the 4-week intervention period, the experimental group received EMG-ES to their abdominal muscles, while the control group received isometric abdominal exercises three times per week. Both groups continued with their routine rehabilitation program (active or passive range of motion exercises, stretching, and balance coordination exercises). The primary outcome measures were the modified functional reach test (mFRT) and trunk control test (TCT). Secondary outcome measures included a pulmonary function test (PFT) and the bilateral abdominal muscle thicknesses using ultrasonography. At the end of the study, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in both primary outcomes. The mean difference in pre-post changes between the groups for the mFRT area was 242.8 cm² [95% confidence interval (CI): 181.3-329.8; effect size 0.92; P < 0.001] and 5.0 points for TCT (95% CI: 3.9-6.0; effect size 0.98, P < 0.001). The increase in the abdominal muscle thickness was also significantly greater in the experimental group ( P < 0.001) without significant differences in the PFT ( P > 0.05). We conclude that adding EMG-ES of abdominal muscles may further improve sitting balance and abdominal muscle thickness in individuals with complete thoracic SCI.
Topics: Humans; Spinal Cord Injuries; Abdominal Muscles; Male; Electromyography; Female; Adult; Postural Balance; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Middle Aged; Sitting Position; Thoracic Vertebrae; Respiratory Function Tests
PubMed: 38501227
DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000620