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Systematic review of the literature on abdominal and multifidus muscle function, assessment methods and their measurement reliability in older adults

Question: What is known about abdominal and multifidus muscle measures, including validity, reliability and their relationship to functional outcomes in older adults? Design: Systematic review of quantitative studies. Participants: Adults aged over 50 years. Outcome measures: Electromyographic (EMG), ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomographic (CT) measurements of rectus abdominis, internal and external oblique, transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus muscles, their measurement reliability and validity, and associations with other factors. Results: 28 studies with 2812 participants (median 41, range 12-1194, 52% male, mean age 20-87 years) were included. Measurement methods were EMG (n=15 studies), US (n=5), CT (n=6) and MRI (n=2). Study quality scores ranged from 12% to 86%. Studies (n=9) assessing measurement reliability reported high intra- and inter-observer reliability. Studies of people with low back pain (n=7) reported altered muscle activation and decreased muscle CSA. Studies (n=6) of people with a recent stroke reported detrimental effects of stroke on abdominal muscle activation on the affected side. Age was generally associated with reduced muscle size and activation. Conclusions: Current evidence, though sparse, suggests that abdominal and lumbar multifidus muscles play a role in healthy aging. It seems possible to reliably measure these muscles of older people. Further research is both warranted and feasible.

History

Department/School

Tasmanian School of Medicine

Event title

APA Conference 2013

Event Venue

Melbourne, Australia

Date of Event (Start Date)

2013-10-17

Date of Event (End Date)

2013-10-20

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Health related to ageing

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    University Of Tasmania

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