Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32988320›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society2021

Management of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles: recommendations for swedish national guidelines.

Anders Carlstedt, Sven Bringman, Mattias Egberth, Peter Emanuelsson, Anders Olsson, Ulf Petersson, Joakim Pålstedt, Gabriel Sandblom, Rune Sjödahl, Birgit Stark and 3 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06286553 (Trunk Stabilization Exercise and Inspiratory Muscle Training Effects on Diastasis Recti Abdominis in Postpartum Women - A Randomized Controlled Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 40 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
6.7field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06286553 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Trunk Stabilization Exercise and Inspiratory Muscle Training Effects on Diastasis Recti Abdominis in Postpartum Women - A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of PatrasRan2024 to 2026Enrolled48ConditionsDiastasis Recti And Weakness Of The Linea Alba, Diastasis, MuscleArmsTrunk exercise, Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT), Control Group
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Mesh repair versus suture plication for rectus diastasis: the results of meta-analysis.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Rectus diastasis is not a single entity: phenotype-specific controversies in surgical management.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2026
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Principles of rectus diastasis classification and treatment.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025
    Review
  19. Diastasis recti abdominis: A comprehensive review.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025
    Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.

Anders CarlstedtDepartment of Surgery, Karlstad Central Hospital, Karlstad, Sweden.
Sven BringmanDepartment of Surgery, Södertälje Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mattias EgberthDepartment of Surgery, Mora hospital, Mora, Sweden.
Peter EmanuelssonDepartment of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
Anders OlssonDepartment of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ulf PeterssonDepartment of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Joakim PålstedtDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Danderyds Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gabriel SandblomDepartment of Surgery, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, 118 83, Sweden. Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7416-4951
Rune SjödahlDepartment of Surgery, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
Birgit StarkDepartment of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
Karin StrigårdDepartment of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Jael TallDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Danderyds Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Elvar TheodorssonDepartment of Clinical Chemistry and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Karolinska Institutet · SEKarlstad Central Hospital · SELinköping University · SELinköping University Hospital · SELund University · SEMora lasarett · SEUmeå University · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle is a common condition. There are no generally accepted criteria for diagnosis or treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle, which causes uncertainty for the patient and healthcare providers alike.

methodsThe consensus document was created by a group of Swedish surgeons and based on a structured literature review and practical experience.

resultsThe proposed criteria for diagnosis and treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle are as follows: (1) Diastasis diagnosed at clinical examination using a caliper or ruler for measurement. Diagnostic imaging by ultrasound or other imaging modality, should be performed when concurrent umbilical or epigastric hernia or other cause of the patient's symptoms cannot be excluded. (2) Physiotherapy is the firsthand treatment for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle. Surgery should only be considered in diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle patients with functional impairment, and not until the patient has undergone a standardized 6-month abdominal core training program. (3) The largest width of the diastasis should be at least 5 cm before surgical treatment is considered. In case of pronounced abdominal bulging or concomitant ventral hernia, surgery may be considered in patients with a smaller diastasis. (4) When surgery is undertaken, at least 2 years should have elapsed since last childbirth and future pregnancy should not be planned. (5) Plication of the linea alba is the firsthand surgical technique. Other techniques may be used but have not been found superior. DISCUSSION: The level of evidence behind these statements varies, but they are intended to lay down a standard strategy for treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle and to enable uniformity of management.

Indexed as

Abdominal WallHernia, VentralAbdominal CoreFemaleHumansPregnancyRectus AbdominisSwedenDiastasis of the rectus abdominis musclesguidelineslinea albameshphysiotherapypregnancy

Identifiers

PMID32988320
PMCPMC8551433
OpenAlexW3091662176

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.