We have used a classification of ano-rectal anomalies following the concepts of Keith (1908), Stephens (1953a, b), Browne (1955) and Bill and Johnson (1958), as described elsewhere (Nixon, 1961). The low anomalies in which the 'anus' or 'fistula' is below the puborectalis present few serious problems. The main groups are the covered and ectopic anus, and continence is achieved by adequately enl...

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to describe the main morpho- functional imaging features, physiological and pathological, of the recto-anal region and pelvic floor as depicted with conventional video defecography. Defecography has dramatically improved our knowledge of dysfunctions of evacuation. The most frequent indications and related disorders are presented from a database of more th...

The purpose of this study was to correlate the in vivo endoanal MRI findings of the anal sphincter with the cross-sectional anatomy and histology. Fourteen patients with rectal tumours were examined with a rigid endoanal MR coil before undergoing abdominoperineal resection. In addition, 12 cadavers were used to obtain cross-sectional anatomical sections. The images were correlated with the hist...

The anatomy of parts of the pelvic outlet and perineum is described in an adult male gorilla. Two previously undescribed muscles are presented: (1) The puborectalis muscle, completely separated from the levator ani, arises from the region of the symphysis and forms a sling for the rectum while it also substitutes for the perineal membrane. (2) The puboampullaris muscle, a paired smooth muscle, ...

AIMS To investigate the predictive ability of four digital assessment parameters to detect levator ani (LA) muscle defects (avulsion injury) and compare these to transperineal tomographic ultrasound images. METHODS This was an observational study imbedded in a larger quasi-experimental cohort study for women with urinary incontinence. Seventy-two women, ≥ 60 years who had attended or were goi...

OBJECTIVE The study was undertaken to identify the morphologic changes in the levator ani in different grades of prolapse by using reconstructed three-dimensional models of magnetic resonance images (MRI) and to subclassify prolapse into different categories on the basis of their levator ani morphologic characteristics. STUDY DESIGN Sixty-one women were studied, 8 women in stage I, 15 women i...

This study investigated the morphology and structure of pelvic floor in 50 nulliparous and 95 postpartum women (47 vaginal delivery, 48 Cesarean section) using translabial three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. All the primiparae underwent ultrasound examination within one week after their first delivery. Volume datasets were acquired and analyzed to determine the alterations of levator hiatus afte...