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Force and stiffness of the pelvic floor as function of muscle length: A comparison between women with and without stress urinary incontinence
Author(s) -
Verelst M.,
Leivseth 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.20415
Subject(s) - pelvic floor , medicine , urinary incontinence , pelvic floor muscle , stiffness , muscle stiffness , passive stretching , urology , anatomy , surgery , range of motion , materials science , composite material
Aims To compare passive and active mechanical properties in the pelvic floor as a function of tissue length in continent and incontinent parous women. Materials and Methods Twenty‐four parous continent and 21 parous incontinent women were examined with an intravaginal device. Passive and active force/stiffness were measured by increasing the transverse diameter of the vagina. To allow a more accurate comparison between groups, measured forces were normalized with respect to bodyweight, that is, force/bodyweight. Results In both groups passive and active forces increased as a function of the increase in length of the pelvic floor tissues. No difference was found between the groups according to passive forces ( P = 0.646), but active force was significantly higher ( P = 0.030) in the continent group when normalized for bodyweight. There was an almost linear increase in normalized passive stiffness in the range tested. No differences were found between the groups ( P = 0.855). Normalized active stiffness was significantly reduced in the incontinent group ( P = 0.021). Conclusions This study indicates that both active force development and active stiffness in the pelvic floor tissues are significantly reduced in incontinent women, whereas the passive resting mechanical forces in the pelvic floor tissues in both groups are not different. Neurourol. Urodynam. 26:852–857, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.