Measurement reliability and cooperative movement of the pelvic floor and transverse abdominal muscles.
Lin Lyu, Jialin Fan, Xuemei Chai and 6 others
PMID 34658522WHAT IT FOUND
In seven healthy women, ultrasound reliably measured pelvic floor and abdominal muscle thickness.
Co-contracting the transverse abdominal and pelvic floor muscles produced greater bladder floor elevation than contracting either alone. This suggests these muscles work together, but the study was too small to prove clinical benefit.
Key findings
01Ultrasound measurements of transverse abdominal muscle thickness and bladder floor elevation showed high reproducibility between test and retest.
02Bladder floor elevation was greater during maximum co-contraction of the transverse abdominal and pelvic floor muscles than during isolated contraction of either muscle.
03Transverse abdominal muscle thickness was significantly related to bladder floor elevation during co-contraction with resistance, suggesting one may be used to estimate the other.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was extremely small (n=7), limiting the generalizability of the findings. All participants were healthy young adults (mean age 21.1 years); no women with urinary incontinence or pelvic floor dysfunction were included. The study measured muscle thickness and bladder position, not functional outcomes like continence or pain. The authors note that further investigation is needed in women with incontinence before clinical recommendations can be made.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. No funding was provided for this study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that co-contracting the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles is a proven treatment for incontinence. This study only measured anatomical changes in seven healthy young women, not symptom improvement in patients.