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Displacement and recovery of the vesical neck position during pregnancy and after childbirth
Author(s) -
Wijma Jacobus,
Weis Potters Annemarie E.,
van der Mark Thomas W.,
Tinga Dick J.,
Aarnoudse Jan G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.20354
Subject(s) - medicine , pelvic floor , childbirth , pregnancy , displacement (psychology) , obstetrics , surgery , psychology , genetics , psychotherapist , biology
Aims (i) To describe the displacement and recovery of the vesical neck position during pregnancy and after childbirth and (ii) to discriminate between compliance of the vesical neck supporting structures with and without pelvic floor contraction. Methods We focussed on the biomechanical properties of the vesical neck supporting structures during pregnancy and after childbirth by calculating the compliance and the hysteresis as a result from of abdominal pressure measurements and simultaneous perineal ultrasound. Results This study shows that compliance of the supporting structures remains relatively constant during pregnancy and returns to normal values 6 months after childbirth. Hysteresis, however, showed an increase after childbirth, persisting at least until 6 months post partum. Conclusions Vaginal delivery may stretch and or load beyond the physiological properties of the pelvic floor tissue and in this way may lead to irreversible changes in tissue properties which play an important role in the urethral support continence mechanism. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:372–376, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.