OBJECTIVE To determine if there is evidence of levator ani atrophy in primiparous women. METHODS This was a prospective observational cohort study of 202 primiparous women recruited between November 2006 and March 2008. Translabial ultrasound volumes were obtained at 36-38 weeks' gestation and at a mean of 4.5 months postpartum. Peripartum changes in bladder neck elevation and reduction of an...

The pelvic floor gives support to the organs in the abdominal cavity. Using the dataset made public in (Janda et al. J. Biomech. (2003) 36(6), pp. 749-757), we have reconstructed the geometry of one of the most important parts of the pelvic floor, the levator ani, using NURB surfaces. Once the surface is triangulated, the corresponding mesh is used in a finite element analysis with shell elemen...

UNLABELLED We performed a randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of physical therapy on genuine stress incontinence. STUDY OBJECTIVE "Is a physical therapeutical training program (pelvic floor muscle training) combined with biofeedback, more effective than the same program without biofeedback in patients with mild or moderate stress incontinence?" Forty-four patients were referred by a gen...

We reviewed 115 incontinent women undergoing conservative treatment. Urinary incontinence was caused by pelvic floor weakness (genuine stress incontinence) in 54 patients, by involuntary detrusor contraction (detrusor instability) in 38 and by both (mixed type) in 23. Tricyclic antidepressants or alpha-adrenergic stimulators were given to 30 patients with pelvic floor weakness; Incontinence dis...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of a pelvic floor rehabilitation program consisting of pelvic floor (PF) and transverse abdominal muscle (TrA) pre-contraction, coordination training and sustained submaximal contractions employing a validated pelvic floor questionnaire. STUDY DESIGN Fifty-five consecutive women with stress urinary incontinence (n=9), overactive bladder (n=9) or mixed ...

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is defined as pain in the pelvic organs and related structures of at least 6 months' duration. The pathophysiology of CPP is uncertain, and its treatment presents challenges. Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A), known for its antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxant activity, has been used recently to treat refractory CPP with promising results. In patients with ...