Abdominal Trunk Function After Surgical Repair of Abdominal Rectus Muscle Diastasis

Abdominal Trunk Function After Surgical Repair of Abdominal Rectus Muscle Diastasis: Outcome Measured With the Abdominal Trunk Function Protocol

There is insufficient evidence regarding the benefit from surgical reconstruction of post-partum abdominal rectus muscle diastasis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the abdominal trunk function preoperatively and postoperatively in a group of women undergoing surgery for abdominal rectus muscle diastasis.

There is little evidence regarding the various treatment options of abdominal rectus muscle diastasis in post-partum women. The lack of evidence may, to a great extent, be explained by the lack of uniform criteria for assessing the trunk function and how the trunk function affects the ability to perform daily activities. To be able to evaluate the condition with symptomatic ARD a more comprehensive, multimodal instrument is therefore needed.

In collaboration with the surgical clinic and the physiotherapy clinic at Södersjukhuset a multimodal examination test was developed with the purpose to be able to evaluate the full picture of the condition.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surgical reconstruction of post-partum abdominal rectus muscle diastasis in women with insufficient improvement after adequate physical training using a novel multimodal evaluation tool.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Non-smoking women
• BMI <35
• Inter-recti distance >3cm
• Lack of response to standardized core stabilizing training
• >1 year since last partus
• No intention of further pregnancies

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to quit smoking
• BMI >35
• Inter-recti distance <3cm
• <1 year since last partus
• Further pregnancies not excluded