Table 3.

Comparison of Muscle Sizes in Women Who Had Breast Reconstruction^{^a} and Women Who Were Healthy^{^b}

↵^a Reconstruction was done with the muscle-sparing unilateral pedicled transverse rectus abdominis (RA) myocutaneous (TRAM) flap procedure.
^b Data were based on measurements obtained from 3 images for 34 women who had the TRAM flap procedure (TRAM group) and 25 women who were healthy (control group), unless otherwise indicated. Measurements for the RA muscle were obtained parallel to 3 levels: upper=costochondral junction of the ninth rib, middle=halfway between the lower rib margin and the iliac crest, lower=5 cm below the iliac crest. Measurements for the lateral abdominal muscles were obtained at 1 location, halfway between the lower rib margin and the iliac crest along a vertical line passing through the anterior superior iliac spine. CI=confidence interval, CSA=cross-sectional area, OE=obliquus externus abdominis muscle, OI=obliquus internus abdominis muscle, TrA=transversus abdominis muscle.
^c Data are reported as mean (SD). The control side was the side of the rectus abdominis muscle in women in the control group corresponding to the intact side of the rectus abdominis muscle in women in the TRAM group.
^d 95% CI for comparisons of muscle sizes normalized by body weight.
^e The results for the TRAM group were significantly different from those for the control group (P<.05).
^f Measurements were obtained from 25 women.