Lateral abdominal muscles of adults with hypermobility may be partially impaired during contraction

Abstract

BackgroundMuscle function may be impaired in people with generalised hypermobility, yet prior studies have primarily focused on muscles within the extremities. We aimed to examine changes in lateral abdominal muscle (transversus abdominis (TrA) and the external (EO) and internal abdominal obliques (IO)) thickness and length during contraction between participants with and without hypermobility.MethodsThis cross-sectional study examined 12 participants with hypermobility and 12 age-matched, sex-matched, height-matched and weight-matched participants without hypermobility. The Beighton and Belavy-Owen-Mitchell score assessed systemic hypermobility. Muscle thickness and length were measured via panoramic ultrasound scans at rest and during contraction.ResultsWhen compared with rest across all lumbar levels (L1–L5), contraction produced a lesser increase in TrA thickness (β=0.03, p=0.034) for participants with hypermobility compared with control. No group-by-condition interaction was observed for TrA length across all lumbar levels (L1–L5; p=0.269). Contraction produced a greater decrease in EO thickness (β=0.08, p=0.002) at L3 only for participants with hypermobility compared with control. No group-by-condition interactions were observed for IO thickness.ConclusionParticipants with hypermobility had partially impaired lateral abdominal muscle function given a lesser ability to increase TrA muscle thickness during contraction compared with controls.

Present but Ignored: Physical Condition and Health-Related Quality of Life in College-Aged Females with Generalized Joint Hypermobility

“…In our study, individuals with GJH showed lower back muscle static strength endurance compared with the non-GJH group. No scientific data could be found comparing static strength endurance of trunk muscles (abdominal and back) between GJH and non-GJH subjects; however, there is scientific evidence that persons with joint hypermobility have partially impaired lateral abdominal muscle function given a lesser ability to increase transversal abdominal muscle thickness during contraction compared with those without joint hypermobility [ 52 ].…”