Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders
PurposeDiastasis of rectus abdominis (DRA) refers to a separation of the rectus abdominis from the linea alba, which is common in the female population during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The present study aimed at investigating DRA severity, risk factors and associated disorders.MethodsI...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Surgery |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1360207/full |
| _version_ | 1797266468547592192 |
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| author | Alberto Sartori Ahmad Tfaily Emanuele Botteri Jacopo Andreuccetti Enrico Lauro Gulser Caliskan Giuseppe Verlato Alberto Di Leo |
| author_facet | Alberto Sartori Ahmad Tfaily Emanuele Botteri Jacopo Andreuccetti Enrico Lauro Gulser Caliskan Giuseppe Verlato Alberto Di Leo |
| author_sort | Alberto Sartori |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeDiastasis of rectus abdominis (DRA) refers to a separation of the rectus abdominis from the linea alba, which is common in the female population during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The present study aimed at investigating DRA severity, risk factors and associated disorders.MethodsIn the present cross-sectional study, a web-based questionnaire was addressed to the 23,000 members of the Women's Diastasis Association. The questionnaire comprised three parts, dedicated respectively to diastasis characteristics, possible risk factors, and related disorders. Faecal and urinary incontinences were assessed using the Wexner and ICIQ-SF score, respectively. Risk factors for diastasis severity (<3, 3–5, >5 cm) were evaluated by a multinomial regression model.ResultsFour thousand six hundred twenty-nine women with a mean age (SD) of 39.8 (6.5) years and a median BMI of 23.7 kg/m2 (range 16.0–40.0) responded to the questionnaire. Proportion of DRA >5 cm increased from 22.8% in norm weight women to 44.0% in severely obese women, and from 10.0% in nulliparous women to 39.3% in women with >3 pregnancies. These associations were confirmed in multivariable analysis. DRA severity was associated with the risk of abdominal hernia and pelvic prolapse, whose prevalence more than doubled from women with DRA <3 cm (31.6% and 9.7%, respectively) to women with DRA >5 cm (68.2% and 20.2%). In addition, most patients reported postural pain and urinary incontinence, whose frequency increased with DRA severity.ConclusionThe present study confirmed that DRA severity increases with increasing BMI and number of pregnancies. Larger separation between rectal muscles was associated with increased risk of pain/discomfort, urinary incontinence, abdominal hernia and pelvic prolapse. Prospective studies are needed to better evaluate risk factors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:01:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc588e146d9d4181996f7ebe3b83a1b9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-875X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:01:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Surgery |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc588e146d9d4181996f7ebe3b83a1b92024-03-11T04:45:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Surgery2296-875X2024-03-011110.3389/fsurg.2024.13602071360207Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disordersAlberto Sartori0Ahmad Tfaily1Emanuele Botteri2Jacopo Andreuccetti3Enrico Lauro4Gulser Caliskan5Giuseppe Verlato6Alberto Di Leo7U.O. Chirurgia Generale e d’Urgenza, Ospedale Montebelluna, Montebelluna, ItalyUnit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics & Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, ItalyGeneral Surgery, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Montichiari, ItalyUOC Chirurgia Generale 2, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, ItalyU.O. Chirurgia Generale, Ospedale Civile Santa Maria del Carmine, Rovereto, ItalyUnit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics & Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, ItalyUnit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics & Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, ItalyU.O. Chirurgia Generale e Mininvasiva, Ospedale San Camillo, Trento, ItalyPurposeDiastasis of rectus abdominis (DRA) refers to a separation of the rectus abdominis from the linea alba, which is common in the female population during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The present study aimed at investigating DRA severity, risk factors and associated disorders.MethodsIn the present cross-sectional study, a web-based questionnaire was addressed to the 23,000 members of the Women's Diastasis Association. The questionnaire comprised three parts, dedicated respectively to diastasis characteristics, possible risk factors, and related disorders. Faecal and urinary incontinences were assessed using the Wexner and ICIQ-SF score, respectively. Risk factors for diastasis severity (<3, 3–5, >5 cm) were evaluated by a multinomial regression model.ResultsFour thousand six hundred twenty-nine women with a mean age (SD) of 39.8 (6.5) years and a median BMI of 23.7 kg/m2 (range 16.0–40.0) responded to the questionnaire. Proportion of DRA >5 cm increased from 22.8% in norm weight women to 44.0% in severely obese women, and from 10.0% in nulliparous women to 39.3% in women with >3 pregnancies. These associations were confirmed in multivariable analysis. DRA severity was associated with the risk of abdominal hernia and pelvic prolapse, whose prevalence more than doubled from women with DRA <3 cm (31.6% and 9.7%, respectively) to women with DRA >5 cm (68.2% and 20.2%). In addition, most patients reported postural pain and urinary incontinence, whose frequency increased with DRA severity.ConclusionThe present study confirmed that DRA severity increases with increasing BMI and number of pregnancies. Larger separation between rectal muscles was associated with increased risk of pain/discomfort, urinary incontinence, abdominal hernia and pelvic prolapse. Prospective studies are needed to better evaluate risk factors.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1360207/fulldiastasis recti abdominisrisk factorincontinenceprolapsehernia abdominalis |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Sartori Ahmad Tfaily Emanuele Botteri Jacopo Andreuccetti Enrico Lauro Gulser Caliskan Giuseppe Verlato Alberto Di Leo Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders Frontiers in Surgery diastasis recti abdominis risk factor incontinence prolapse hernia abdominalis |
| title | Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders |
| title_full | Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders |
| title_fullStr | Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders |
| title_short | Rectus muscle diastasis in Italian women: determinants of disease severity, and associated disorders |
| title_sort | rectus muscle diastasis in italian women determinants of disease severity and associated disorders |
| topic | diastasis recti abdominis risk factor incontinence prolapse hernia abdominalis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2024.1360207/full |
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