Ultrasonography for measuring rectus abdominis muscles diastasis.
OBJECTIVE
Preoperative imaging evaluation may be useful for determining the position of recti abdominis muscles before their correction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography to measure the width of rectus abdominis muscle diastasis.


METHODS
Rectus diastasis was measured by ultrasonography preoperatively in 20 females. Rectus diastasis was measured in seven levels along the anterior rectus sheath by ultrasound after sustained deep inspiration and after expiration. Rectus diastasis, at the same levels, was also measured after its exposition during abdominoplasty by two independent observers, using a surgical compass. These values were compared using Wilcoxon's statistical text, for non independent values.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the values obtained by ultrasound and those measured during surgery in the supra-umbilical levels and at the level of the umbilicus. However, below the umbilicus these values differed significantly, showing smaller values in the imaging evaluation.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonography is an accurate method to measure rectus diastasis above the umbilicus and at the umbilical level.
Mendes
Denise de Almeida
Dde A
Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Nahas
Fábio Xerfan
FX
Veiga
Daniela Francescato
DF
Mendes
Fernando Vilela
FV
Figueiras
Ricardo Góes
RG
Gomes
Heitor Carvalho
HC
Ely
Pedro Bins
PB
Novo
Neil Ferreira
NF
Ferreira
Lydia Masako
LM
D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods