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Lateral abdominal muscle thickness and contractile function in women with and without stress urinary incontinence

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) primarily results from the weakness of pelvic floor muscles, working synergistically with the abdominal muscles. The current study aimed to compare thickness and contractile function of lateral abdominal muscles in women with and without SUI.

Methods

Thirty-nine women with SUI (SUI group; age: 38.87 ± 8.96 years, body mass index (BMI): 24.03 (5.94) kg/m2) and 42 healthy women (control group; age: 36.21 ± 11.46 years, BMI: 23.90 (5.85) kg/m2) were included. Transverse abdominis (TrA) and internal oblique (IO) muscle thickness at rest and during abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) were measured with ultrasound imaging in B-mode using a Logiq S7/Expert device and a 9-11 MHz linear transducer. Percentage change in thickness and contractile function of these muscles were also calculated.

Results

No significant differences in the thickness of TrA and IO muscles at rest and during ADIM between the groups were found (p > 0.05). The percent change in thickness and contractile function of both right and left side TrA muscles and the right side IO muscle were lower in SUI group than control group (p < 0.05). The percentage change in thickness and the contractile function of the left side IO muscle did not change (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Women with SUI had a smaller percentage change in thickness and contractile function of TrA and IO muscle than women without SUI. However, there was no difference in the morphological features of these muscles between the groups. Considering the lateral abdominal muscle, training may be important for management of SUI.

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Acknowledgement

The authors thank Nida Lalecan for drawing the abdominal muscle diagram.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Sciences Faculty, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey

    Seyda Toprak Celenay

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey

    Mehtap Balaban

  3. Health Sciences Faculty, Department of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey

    Derya Ozer Kaya

Authors
  1. Seyda Toprak Celenay
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  2. Mehtap Balaban
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  3. Derya Ozer Kaya
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Contributions

S Toprak Celenay: project development, data collection, data analysis and interpretation. and manuscript writing/editing.

M Balaban: data collection, data interpretation, and manuscript writing/editing.

D Ozer Kaya: project development, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing/editing.

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Correspondence to Seyda Toprak Celenay.

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Celenay, S.T., Balaban, M. & Kaya, D.O. Lateral abdominal muscle thickness and contractile function in women with and without stress urinary incontinence. Int Urogynecol J 35, 303–309 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-023-05636-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-023-05636-9

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