Value of abdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of postpartum diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the value of abdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of postpartum diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRA).Methods:A total of 300 pregnant women who received prenatal examination and finally gave birth in Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated traditional Chinese and Western Medicine between October 2018 and October 2020 were included in this study. All of them underwent finger test and high-frequency ultrasound to determine the degree of DRA. The occurrence of DRA was recorded. The efficacy of abdominal high-frequency ultrasound versus finger test in the diagnosis of DRA was analyzed. The high-frequency ultrasound outcomes regarding DRA distance at different positions and at different phases were compared between women with DRA and those without DRA. Results:The overall incidence of DRA among all women included in this study was 57.67% (173/300). The incidence of DRA in multiparae was significantly higher than that in primipara [73.38% (102/139) vs. 44.10% (71/160), χ2 = 26.20, P = 0.001). The incidence of DRA in women subjected to cesarean section was significantly higher than that in women subjected to vaginal delivery [68.52% (74/108) vs. 51.56% (99/192), χ2 = 8.14, P = 0.004). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of abdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of DRA were 99.42%, 98.42% and 99.00%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of finger test [80.35%,85.04%, 82.33%, χ2 = 34.61, 15.00, 49.23, all P < 0.01]. The DRA distances at different positions measured at 36 weeks of gestation and 2 weeks postpartum were significantly shorter in women with DRA than those without DRA ( t = 5.17-7.46, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Abdominal ultrasound is of high clinical application value in the early diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of postpartum DRA.