Valoración ecográfica de 2 técnicas de contracción abdominalcontracción isométrica y maniobra de ahuecamiento

Laburpena

Introduction and objectives The abdominal muscles, and especially the transversus abdominis, play a fundamental role in lumbopelvic control. Abdominal drawing-in maneuvre is a specific technique to transversus contraction. The objective of the study was to compare the thickness changes of the abdominal muscles with ultrasonography, during two techniques of abdominal contraction: isometric contraction and abdominal drawing-in maneuvre. Materials and methods A sample of 23 volunteers, trained to do abdominal drawing-in maneuvre and isometric contraction were explored with ultrasonography during muscle contraction and rest. Muscle thickness and contraction fraction were calculated. Differences in the activation of the abdominal muscles between both techniques and the reliability of the ultrasound image analysis were analyzed. Results During the abdominal drawing-in maneuvre a significant increase in thickness change of the transverse was observed (mean ± SD=2.01±0.61cm) compared with the isometric contraction (mean ± SD=1.70±0.65cm). The external oblique also showed greater results during this maneuvre, while the change in internal oblique thickness was greater during the isometric contraction. The interobserver reliability analysis was excellent. Conclusions The abdominal drawing-in maneuvre produces an increase in the thickness of the transverse muscle and the external oblique greater than the isometric contraction. Ultrasound is a reliable tool to assess the activation of the abdominal muscles.