Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42477704›Full record

SynthesisBMC women's health2026

From mechanics to mobilization: a biomechanically-informed rehabilitation framework for cesarean-related scars.

Ying Zhou, Jun Yao Huang, Wei Shi

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

3 authors.

Ying ZhouDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, No.20, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Jun Yao HuangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, No.20, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Wei ShiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, No.20, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China. 38566698@qq.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCesarean delivery often results in both abdominal wall scars and uterine scars. However, current rehabilitation strategies for cesarean-related scars lack standardization and a biomechanically informed framework that integrates superficial (abdominal wall) and deep (uterine niche) scar management.

objectiveTo synthesize the pathomechanical basis of cesarean-related scarring and to propose a stage-specific, biomechanically informed rehabilitation framework, while explicitly acknowledging the evidence gap between superficial and deep scar management.

methodsA systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to August 2025, supplemented by hand-searching of reference lists. A total of 2,138 records were identified; after duplicate removal and screening, 345 full-text reports were assessed, of which 101 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies on cesarean scar healing, adhesion biomechanics, mechanotransduction, assessment tools, and physiotherapeutic interventions were synthesized. Evidence was classified by level (I-IV) based on study design, adapted from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine hierarchy. A clear distinction was maintained between interventions applicable to superficial (abdominal wall) scars and those hypothetically extended to deep (uterine niche) defects.

resultsAberrant mechanical tension is identified as a biologically plausible contributor to pathological scar and adhesion formation following cesarean delivery. Subjective (e.g., POSAS, VSS) and objective (e.g., ultrasound elastography, transvaginal ultrasound) assessment tools are evaluated. Effective mechanotherapy interventions are unified into a proposed three-tier biomechanical framework: (1) reducing mechanical load transfer, (2) passive mechanical stabilization, and (3) mitigating external mechanical forces. However, a substantial evidence gap exists-most mechanotherapy studies focus on dermal scars, and direct validation for uterine niche rehabilitation is absent. Interventions such as silicone therapy, taping, and manual therapy are strongly applicable to superficial and adhesion-related components but remain hypothetical for myometrial defects.

conclusionA biomechanical perspective is clinically relevant for post-cesarean scar care, particularly for abdominal wall scars and adhesion-related symptoms. The proposed three-tier framework offers a structured, phenotype-based approach to clinical reasoning. However, direct mechanotherapy for uterine niches remains unproven. This framework should be viewed as hypothesis-generating and a guide for superficial and adhesion-related management, not as a validated protocol for uterine isthmocele rehabilitation. Future prospective trials with ultrasound-based outcomes are urgently needed.

Indexed as

Cesarean SectionCicatrixAbdominal WallBiomechanical PhenomenaFemaleHumansPregnancyWound HealingBiomechanicsCesarean-related scarsCesarean sectionMechanotherapyPhysical therapyRehabilitationScar

Identifiers

PMID42477704
PMCPMC13436330

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Registered trials

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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.