The quantitative determination of antral motility from X-ray pictures was studied in 12 normal fasting subjects whose average age was 25. A sequence of 10 pictures was obtained while the subjects were lying prone, in apnea during 30 sec, and after drinking a barium sulfate suspension. The sinus and antral surfaces were quantitatively determined by a videoplanimeter. The antral area decreased from a relaxed state to 50 p. 100 in 10.4 +/- 2.8 sec and completed emptying in 23.1 +/- 3.6 sec. The maximal surface included a portion of the sinus and was evaluated in a range of 5.5 to 12 cm2. The relaxed period was very short. A coefficient to evaluate the contractile efficiency of the antrum is given by the product of total surface variation per gastric period.
Adult Gastrointestinal Motility