title: Ultrasonographic measurement of transverse abdominis in stroke patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare transverse abdominis (TrA) contractility in stroke patients with hemiparesis and healthy adults using musculoskeletal ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven stroke patients with hemiparesis and 25 age-matched healthy control subjects participated in this study. Stroke patients were divided into three groups on the basis of their degree of ambulation. Group A consisted of 9 patients with wheelchair ambulation, group B of 23 patients with assisted ambulation, and group C of 15 patients with independent ambulation. Inter-rater reliability regarding ultrasonographic measurement of abdominal muscle thickness in the control group was assessed by two examiners. The TrA contraction ratio (TrA contracted thickness/TrA resting thickness) was measured during abdominal drawing-in maneuver and was compared between the patients and the control group and between the ambulation groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.900 to 0.947. The TrA contraction ratio was higher in the non-paretic side than in the paretic side (1.40±0.62 vs. 1.14±0.35, p<0.01). The TrA contraction ratio of the patient group was lower in the non-paretic side as well as in the paretic side than that of the control group (right 1.85±0.29, left 1.92±0.42; p<0.001). No difference was found between the ambulation regarding the TrA contraction ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TrA contractility in hemiparetic stroke patients is significantly decreased in the non-paretic side as well as in the paretic side compared with that of healthy adults. Ultrasonographic measurement can be clinically used in the evaluation of deep abdominal muscles in stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Myeong
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Gil
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Abdominal muscles; Muscle contraction; Paresis; Stroke; Ultrasonography