Manual Therapy
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 112-121 , April 2008

Postpartum characteristics of rectus abdominis on ultrasound imaging

  • Yvonne Coldron

      Affiliations

    • Department of Basic Medical Sciences, St George's, University of London, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Physiotherapy Department, Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust, London Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7YE, UK. Tel.: +442084013093.
  • ,
  • Maria J. Stokes

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Southampton, UK
  • ,
  • Di J. Newham

      Affiliations

    • Division of Applied Biomedical Research, School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King's College London, UK
  • ,
  • Katy Cook

      Affiliations

    • Fetal Medicine Unit, St. George's Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK

Received 7 November 2005 ,Revised 22 August 2006 ,Accepted 20 October 2006.

References 

  1. Boissonnault JS, Blaschak MJ. Incidence of diastasis recti abdominis during the childbearing year. Physical Therapy. 1988;68(7):1082–1086
  2. Bottinelli R, Pellegrino MA, Canepari M, Rossi R, Reggiani C. Specific contributions of various muscle fibre types to human muscle performance: an in vitro study. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. 1999;9:87–95
  3. Bursch SG. Interrater reliability of diastasis recti abdominis measurement. Physical Therapy. 1987;67(7):1077–1079
  4. Caix M, Outrequin G, Descottes B, Kalfon M, Pouget X. The muscles of the abdominal wall: a new functional approach with anatomoclinical deductions. Anatomia Clinica. 1984;6:101–108
  5. Candido G, Lo T, Janssen PA. Risk factors for diastasis of the recti abdominis. Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women's Health. 2005;97(Autumn):49–54
  6. Chi-Fishman G, Hicks JE, Cintas HM, Sonies BC, Gerber LH. Ultrasound imaging distinguishes between normal and weak muscle. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2004;85(6):980–986
  7. Clark KM, Holt LE, Sinyard J. Electromyographic comparison of the upper and lower rectus abdominis during abdominal exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2003;17(3):475–483
  8. Dix DJ, Eisenberg BR. Myosin mRNA accumulation and myofibrillogenesis at the myotendinous junction of stretched muscle fibers. Journal of Cell Biology. 1990;111(5, Part 1):1885–1894
  9. Elliott JM, Galloway GJ, Jull GA, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging analysis of the upper cervical spine extensor musculature in an asymptomatic cohort: an index of fat within muscle. Clinical Radiology. 2005;60:355–363
  10. Fast A, Weiss L, Ducommun EJ, Medina E, Butler JG. Low-back pain in pregnancy: abdominal muscles, sit-up performance, and back pain. Spine. 1990;15(1):28–30
  11. Gilleard WL, Brown JM. Structure and function of the abdominal muscles in primigravid subjects during pregnancy and the immediate postbirth period. Physical Therapy. 1996;76(7):750–762
  12. Goldspink G. Impairment of IGF-I gene splicing and MGF expression associated with muscle wasting. The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. 2006;38(3):481–489
  13. Goldspink G, Scutt A, Martindale J, Jaenicke T, Turay L, Gerlach GF. Stretch and force generation induce rapid hypertrophy and myosin isoform gene switching in adult skeletal muscle. Biochemistry Society Transactions. 1991;19(2):368–373
  14. Graziotti GH, Rios CM, Rivero JL. Evidence for three fast myosin heavy chain isoforms in type II skeletal muscle fibers in the adult llama (Lama glama). Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. 2001;49:1033–1044
  15. Gunreben G, Bogdahn U. Real-time sonography of acute and chronic muscle denervation. Muscle Nerve. 1991;14(7):654–664
  16. Haggmark T, Thorstensson A. Fibre types in human abdominal muscles. Acta Physiologica Scandanavica. 1979;107(4):319–325
  17. Kendall FP, McCreary E, Provance D. Muscles: testing and function. 4th ed. Baltimore, USA: Williams & Wilkins; 1993;pp. 131–176 [Chapter 6]
  18. Lalatta CG, Barazzoni AM, Lucchi ML, Bortolami R. Histochemical types and sizes of fibers in the rectus abdominis muscle of guinea pig: adaptive response to pregnancy. Anatomy Record. 1987;217(1):23–29
  19. Lalatta CG, Barazzoni AM, Lucchi ML, Bortolami R. Fiber sizes and histochemical characteristics of the rectus abdominis muscle of the rabbit under conditions of pregnancy and mechanically induced stress. Anatomy Record. 1988;222(2):136–144
  20. Lamminen A. Low field magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography in muscle diseases. Acta Radiologica Supplement. 1991;377:42–45
  21. Lo T, Candido G, Janssen P. Diastasis of the recti abdominis in pregnancy: risk factors and treatment. Physiotherapy Canada. 1999;44:32–37
  22. Mantle MJ, Greenwood RM, Currey HL. Backache in pregnancy. Rheumatology and Rehabilitation. 1977;16(2):95–101
  23. Martin WD. A study of the effect of pregnancy on muscle fibers of the rectus abdominis muscle of the rat. Anatomical Record. 1979;195(3):455–462
  24. Maurits NM, Bollen AE, Windhausen A, De Jager AE, Van Der Hoeven JH. Muscle ultrasound analysis: normal values and differentiation between myopathies and neuropathies. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. 2003;29(2):215–225
  25. Nahas FX, Ferreira LM, Augusto SM, Ghelfond C. Long-term follow-up of correction of rectus diastasis. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2005;115(6):1736–1741
  26. Negrao Filho RF, Berzin F, Souza GC. Electromyography study of the portions of the abdominal rectus muscle. Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 1997;37(8):491–501
  27. Negrao Filho RF, Berzin F, Souza GC. Quantitative end qualitative analysis of the electrical activity of rectus abdominis muscle portions. Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 2003;43(5):305–314
  28. Noren L, Ostgaard S, Johansson G, Ostgaard HC. Lumbar back and posterior pelvic pain during pregnancy: a 3-year follow-up. European Spine Journal. 2002;11(3):267–271
  29. Ostgaard HC. Lumbar and pelvic pain in pregnancy. In:  Vleeming A,  Mooney V,  Dorman T,  Snijders C,  Stoeckart R editor. Movement, stability and low back pain. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1997;p. 411–420[Chapter 33]
  30. Ostgaard HC, Andersson GB. Postpartum low-back pain. Spine. 1992;17(1):53–55
  31. Ostgaard HC, Andersson GB, Karlsson K. Prevalence of back pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1991;16(5):549–552
  32. Ostgaard HC, Roos-Hansson E, Zetherstrom G. Regression of back and posterior pelvic pain after pregnancy. Spine. 1996;21(23):2777–2780
  33. Ostgaard HC, Zetherstrom G, Roos-Hansson E. Back pain in relation to pregnancy: a 6-year follow-up. Spine. 1997;22(24):2945–2950
  34. Polden M, Mantle J. Physiotherapy in obstetrics and gynaecology. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann; 1990;p. 222–80 [Chapter 7]
  35. Potter HM, Downey JL, Jones ST. Effect of an Intense training programme for the deep antero-lateral abdominal muscles on rectus abdominis diastasis: a single case study. In: Proceedings of the 10 Biennial Conference of the Manipulative Physiotherapists Association of Australia (MPAA). Victoria, Australia: MPAA; 1997a. p. 153–5.
  36. Potter HM, Randall HF, Strauss GR. Effect of pregnancy and motherhood on trunk muscle strength: an examination of isokinetic trunk strength at 24 weeks postpartum. In: Proceedings of the 10 Biennial Conference of the Manipulative Physiotherapists Association of Australia (MPAA). Victoria, Australia: MPAA; 1997b. p. 151–2.
  37. Rath AM, Attali P, Dumas JL, Goldlust D, Zhang J, Chevrel JP. The abdominal linea alba: an anatomo-radiologic and biomechanical study. Surgical and Radiological Anatomy. 1996;18(4):281–288
  38. Reimers K, Reimers CD, Wagner S, Paetzke I, Pongratz DE. Skeletal muscle sonography: a correlative study of echogenicity and morphology. Journal of Ultrasound Medicine. 1993;12(2):73–77
  39. Sarti MA, Monfort M, Fuster MA, Villaplana LA. Muscle activity in upper and lower rectus abdominus during abdominal exercises. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 1996;77(12):1293–1297
  40. Sheppard S. The role of transversus abdominis in postpartum correction of gross divarication recti. Manual Therapy. 1996;1(4):214–216
  41. Spence M. Postnatal survey. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. 1978;34:151–160
  42. Stelzner F, Beyenburg S, Hahn N. [Acquired disorders of peritoneal cavity muscles. Abdominal wall denervation in pregnancy, denervation incontinence, and continent and incontinent constipation]. Langenbecks Archiv fuer Chirugie. 1993;378(1):49–59
  43. Stokes MJ, Hides JA, Nassiri DK. Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging; diagnostic and trreatment aid in rehabilitation. Physical Therapy Reviews 1997;2:73–92.
  44. Udd B, Lamminen A, Somer H. Imaging methods reveal unexpected patchy lesions in late onset distal myopathy. Neuromuscular Disorders. 1991;1(4):279–285
  45. van Uchelen JH, Kon M, Werker PM. The long-term durability of plication of the anterior rectus sheath assessed by ultrasonography. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2001;107(6):1578–1584
  46. Williams PE, Goldspink G. Changes in sarcomere length and physiological properties in immobilized muscle. Journal of Anatomy. 1978;127(3):459–468
  47. Williams PL, Warwick R, Dyson M, Bannister LH. Gray's anatomy. 37th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1989;p. 546–69 [Chapter 5]
  48. Williams P, Kyberd P, Simpson H, Kenwright J, Goldspink G. The morphological basis of increased stiffness of rabbit tibialis anterior muscles during surgical limb-lengthening. Journal of Anatomy. 1998;193(Pt 1):131–138
  49. Zuberi SM, Matta N, Nawaz S, Stephenson JB, McWilliam RC, Hollman A. Muscle ultrasound in the assessment of suspected neuromuscular disease in childhood. Neuromuscular Disorders. 1999;9(4):203–207

PII: S1356-689X(06)00172-X

doi: 10.1016/j.math.2006.10.001

Manual Therapy
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 112-121 , April 2008