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Introduction: The training of the pelvic floor muscles is widely used for treating pelvic floor dysfunctions, like urinary incontinence. During the training, abdominal contractions are avoided; however several studies support the use of the synergy between these muscle groups. Objective: Carrying out a systematic review of studies that seek to identify the presence of synergy between the muscles of the abdomen and the pelvic floor and its functionality in women without pelvic floor dysfunction. Methodology: To conduct the review, we have followed the recommendations proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration for systematic reviews. The literature search included the databases SCIELO, PEDro, MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL and EMBASE, and manual research, the starting date of the databases until August 2013. We included cross observational studies with healthy women who were assessed to find the presence of synergy between the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor. Results: We included 10 articles and they all showed the existence of synergy between the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles in healthy women in the supine, sitting and standing positions. Conclusion: Thus, we can conclude that there is synergy between the muscles of the abdomen and the pelvic floor in healthy women. Better understanding the behavior of these muscles and synergy may favor the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of disorders of the female pelvic floor muscles. Resumo Introdução: O treinamento dos músculos do assoalho pélvico é amplamente utilizado no tratamento de disfunções do assoalho pélvico, como a incontinência urinária, e durante sua execução evita-se a contração abdominal, entretanto vários estudos defendem a utilização do sinergismo entre estes grupos musculares. Objetivo: Revisar sistematicamente os estudos que buscam identificar a presença de sinergismo entre os músculos do abdômen e do assoalho pélvico e sua funcionalidade em mulheres sem disfunções do assoalho pélvico. Metodologia: Para a realização da revisão, foram seguidas as recomendações propostas pela Colaboração Cochrane para revisões sistemáticas. A busca na literatura incluiu as bases SCIELO, PEDro, MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL e EMBASE, além de busca manual, do início das bases até agosto de 2013. Foram incluídos estudos observacionais transversais com mulheres saudáveis que foram avaliadas quanto à presença de sinergismo entre os músculos abdominais e do assoalho pélvico. Resultados: Foram incluídos 10 artigos e todos demonstraram a existência de sinergismo entre os músculos abdominais e músculos do assoalho pélvico em mulheres saudáveis nas posturas supina, sentada e em ortostase. Conclusão: Dessa forma, pode-se concluir que há sinergismo entre os músculos do abdômen e do assoalho pélvico em mulheres saudáveis. Conhecer melhor o comportamento dessas musculaturas e do sinergismo pode favorecer a elaboração de estratégias de prevenção e tratamento das disfunções dos músculos do assoalho pélvico feminino.

In Korea, many people enjoy eating raw or underkooked freshwater crayfish and crabs which unfortunately may cause paragonimiasis. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, especially in the right flank and the right inguinal area, with anorexia. A chest radiograph revealed pleural effusion in both lungs, and her abdominal sonography indicated an inflammatory lesion in the right psoas muscle. Peripheral blood analysis of the patient showed hypereosinophilia (66.0%) and an elevated total serum IgE level (>2,500 IU/ml). The pleural effusion tested by ELISA were also positive for antibodies against paragonimiasis. Her dietary history stated that she had ingested raw freshwater crab, 4 months previously. The diagnosis was pulmonary paragonimiasis accompanied by abdominal muscle involvement. She was improved after 5 cycles of praziquantel treatment and 2 times of pleural effusion drainage. In conclusion, herein, we report a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a girl who presented with abdominal pain and tenderness in the inguinal area.

Objective: To examine the association of abdominal muscle area with coronary artery calcium (CAC) presence, extent, and pro­gression in a multi-ethnic cohort of older, community-dwelling post-menopausal women.Design and Setting: Cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based cohort.Participants: The sample comprised 179 non-Hispanic White women, 116 Filipina women and 144 African American women, all without known CVD, who underwent chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans twice about four years apart for abdominal muscle and fat, as well as CAC.Main Outcome Measures: CAC presence, extent and progression.Results: There was a significant interaction of ethnicity with baseline oblique muscle area (p-for-interaction .01), and marginally significant interactions with baseline total and paraspinal muscle for change in CAC (p-for-interactions both .09). Among Fili­pina women, each standard deviation (SD) greater total muscle area was associated with a 26% (95% CI (-43%, -4%), P=.02) reduced rate of change in CAC; higher paraspinal and oblique muscle area were associated with a 24% (-38%, -6%, P=.01) and a 37% (-53%, -16%, P=.0002) reduced rate of change in CAC, respectively. These associations were not significant in African American or non-Hispanic White women. There were no significant associations of abdominal muscle with CAC presence or extent, nor were there significant ethnicity by muscle interactions in these models.Conclusions: Among Filipina women, greater abdominal muscle mass is associated with a decreased rate of CAC progression. Higher muscle mass may be important for this group in reducing CVD outcomes. Ethn Dis. 2015;25(4):435-442; doi:10.18865/ ed.25.4.435

This study aimed to identify what impact the thickness differences between the leftside and rightside transversus abdominis (TrA), internal obliquus (IO) and external obliquus (EO) have on balance ability in the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) and resting postures. [Subjects and Methods] In this study, 41 young adults were asked to adopt a resting posture and to perform ADIM. The thicknesses of the abdominal muscles (TrA, IO, EO) were measured using ultrasound imaging, Then balance ability was measured, so that a comparative analysis could be carried out. [Results] According to the results, the thicknesses of TrA and IO very significantly increased when ADIM was performed. The changes in thickness of the muscles on the left and right sides showed no significant correlations with balance ability. [Conclusion] According to the study results, the difference in thickness between the left and right side muscles in a normal person is small (symmetric), and the differences in the thickness of TrA and IO on the left and right side reduced when the ADIM, which is a re-education method for abdominal muscles was performed. Therefore, we consider that the ADIM should be used in future clinical trials to induce symmetric contraction of the abdominal muscles. Also, the correlation results of muscle balance and body balance can be used as empirical data.

Context The push-up is a widely used exercise for upper limb strengthening that can be performed with many variants. A comprehensive analysis of muscle activation during the ascendant phase (AP) and descendant phase (DP) in different variants could be useful for trainers and rehabilitators. Objective To obtain information on the effect of different push-up variants on the electromyography (EMG) of a large sample of upper limb muscles and to investigate the role of the trunk and abdomen muscles during the AP and DP. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Eight healthy, young volunteers without a history of upper extremity or spine injury. Intervention(s) Participants performed a set of 10 repetitions for each push-up variant: standard, wide, narrow, forward (FP), and backward (BP). Surface EMG of 12 selected muscles and kinematics data were synchronously recorded to describe the AP and DP. Main Outcome Measure(s) Mean EMG activity of the following muscles was analyzed: serratus anterior, deltoideus anterior, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, triceps brachii caput longus, triceps brachii caput lateralis, obliquus externus abdominis, pectoralis major sternal head, pectoralis major clavicular head, trapezius transversalis, and biceps brachii. Results The triceps brachii and pectoralis major exhibited greater activation during the narrow-base variant. The highest activation of abdomen and back muscles was recorded for the FP and BP variants. The DP demonstrated the least electrical activity across all muscles, with less marked differences for the abdominal and erector spinae muscles because of their role as stabilizers. Conclusions Based on these findings, we suggest the narrow-base variant to emphasize triceps and pectoralis activity and the BP variant for total upper body strength conditioning. The FP and BP variants should be implemented carefully in participants with low back pain because of the greater activation of abdominal and back muscles.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the activities of the abdominal muscles of women who had experienced vaginal delivery in comparison with those who had experienced Cesarean childbirth. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 14 subjects (7 vaginal delivery, 7 Cesarean section) performed an active straight leg raise to 20 cm above the ground, and we measured the activities of the internal oblique abdominal muscle, the external oblique abdominal muscle, and the rectus abdominal muscle on both sides using electromyography. The effort required to raise the leg was scored on a Likert scale. Then, the subjects conducted maximum isometric contraction for hip joint flexion with the leg raised at 20 cm, and maximum torque and abdominal muscle activities were measured using electromyography. [Results] During the active straight leg raise, abdominal muscle activities were higher in the Cesarean section subjects. The Likert scale did not show a significant difference. The activities of the abdominal muscles and the maximum torque of the hip joint flexion at maximum isometric contraction were higher in the vaginal delivery subjects. [Conclusion] The abdominal muscles of Cesarean section subjects showed greater recruitment for maintaining pelvic stability during the active straight leg raising, but were relatively weaker when powerful force was required. Therefore, we consider that more abdominal muscle training is necessary for maintaining pelvic stability of Cesarean section subjects.

To compare the efficacy and safety of iliococcygeus fixation (ICG) and abdominal sacral colpopexy (SCP) in the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse. Patients with symptomatic vaginal vault prolapse after hysterectomy were considered in this analysis. Surgical outcomes, i.e., the capacity to restore the anatomy of the vaginal cuff and improvement in the prolapse-related symptoms were compared. Continuous variables were compared using the Student’s t test, while non-continuous variables using a Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test. Sacrocolpopexy was performed in 41 patients, while ICG fixation was carried out in 36 patients. Operative time was significantly shorter (78 vs 140 min, p

Concentrations of selected heavy metals and a metalloid were measured by ICP-MS in crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) collected from Lake Hirfanli, Turkey. Aluminum (Al), chromium (52Cr, 53Cr), copper ( 63Cu, 65Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and arsenic (As) were measured in the exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle tissues of 60 crayfish of both genders. With the exception of Al, differences were determined between male and female cohorts for the accumulation trends of the above-mentioned elements in the four tissues. It was also noted that the accumulation rates of Ni and As were significantly lower in gill tissue of females compared to males and no significant difference was observed for Cu isotopes in female crayfish. Cluster Analysis (CA) recovered similar results for both genders, with links between accumulations of Ni and As being notable. Accumulation models were described separately for male and female crayfish using regression analysis, and are presented for models where R2 > 0.85. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

O objetivo deste estudo foi relacionar os escores dos testes abdominais de um minuto, de dois minutos com banco, de uma repetição máxima (1RM), de repetições máximas com 70% de 1RM e teste de contração isométrica voluntária máxima (CIVM) e verificar a reprodutibilidades dos mesmos em mulheres jovens. A amostra foi composta de 15 mulheres (26,22 ± 4,67 anos) fisicamente ativas. Os testes foram realizados em dias alternados e randomizados, com intervalos mínimos de 48 horas. Após um intervalo de 7 a 10 dias, os testes foram reaplicados. Os resultados sugeriram que os testes abdominais apresentam boa capacidade de reprodutibilidade. Além disso, os testes de um minuto e de dois minutos apresentaram boa relação com o teste de força máxima (1RM), sendo que os testes de CIVM e de repetições máximas a 70% de 1RM não apresentaram correlação com os demais. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible correlations between the values of 1 minute abdominal tests, 2 minutes with bench, a repetition maximum, a repetition maximum with 70% of 1RM and maximum voluntary isometric contraction test and then, to verify the reproducibility of them in young women. The study was composed by 15 trained women (26.22 ± 4.67 ages). The tests were randomly performed in different days with minimum of 48 hours of interval between collections. After of 7-10 days interval, the tests were performed again. The present results suggested it is possible to conclude that abdominal tests present a good capacity of reproducibility. Besides this, the 1min and 2min tests have presented a good relation with the maximum strength test (1RM), however the maximum voluntary isometric contraction and repetition maximum with 70% of 1RM tests did not presented any correlation with the other tests. El objetivo de esta investigación fue relacionar la puntuación de los resultados de los siguientes tests abdominales: abdominal en un minuto, abdominal en dos minutos en la banca, una repetición máxima (1RM), repeticiones máximas a 70% de 1RM y test de contracción isométrica voluntaria máxima (CIVM); y evaluar la reproducibilidad de los mismos en mujeres jóvenes. La muestra estuvo constituída por 15 mujeres (26,22 ± 4,67 años) físicamente activas. Los tests se realizaron en días distintos y al azar, con intervalos de 48 horas. Después de 7-10 días los tests fueron aplicados nuevamente. Los resultados sugieren que los ejercicios abdominales muestran una buena capacidad de reproducibilidad. Además, los tests de un minuto y dos minutos mostraron buena relación con la prueba de 1RM, pero los testes de CIVM y repeticiones máximas a 70% de 1RM no mostraron ninguna correlación con los demás.

Objective To compare the effects of lumbar stabilization exercises and lumbar dynamic strengthening exercises on the maximal isometric strength of the lumbar extensors, pain severity and functional disability in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods Patients suffering nonspecific LBP for more than 3 months were included prospectively and randomized into lumbar stabilization exercise group (n=11) or lumbar dynamic strengthening exercise group (n=10). Exercises were performed for 1 hour, twice weekly, for 8 weeks. The strength of the lumbar extensors was measured at various angles ranging from 0° to 72° at intervals of 12°, using a MedX. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) were used to measure the severity of LBP and functional disability before and after the exercise. Results Compared with the baseline, lumbar extension strength at all angles improved significantly in both groups after 8 weeks. The improvements were significantly greater in the lumbar stabilization exercise group at 0° and 12° of lumbar flexion. VAS decreased significantly after treatment; however, the changes were not significantly different between the groups. ODQ scores improved significantly in the stabilization exercise group only. Conclusion Both lumbar stabilization and dynamic strengthening exercise strengthened the lumbar extensors and reduced LBP. However, the lumbar stabilization exercise was more effective in lumbar extensor strengthening and functional improvement in patients with nonspecific chronic LBP.

The abdominal muscle deficiency and Prune-Belly syndrome

Free TRAM flap transfer for breast reconstruction following mastectomy overcomes the shortcomings of the pedicled TRAM flap. It ensures the perfusion of the entire flap via its dominant vascular pedicle and allows for flexibility in the design of the ensuing breast mound. The authors' experience with ten free lower TRAM flap transfers is reviewed. The present surgical technique is described and three cases are presented to illustrate its application. The advantages and limitations of the method are compared particularly with its pedicled version.