title: Stress relaxation of the human cervix: a new tool for diagnosis of cervical incompetence.
abstract: A method is described for determination of the stress-relaxation characteristics of the cervix uteri of non-gravid women after almost stepwise dilatation of the cervical canal by a water-filled balloon. The stress relaxation is followed by measurement of the pressure decay in the same balloon. Application of this atraumatic technique to women with a normal cervix and women known to have an incompetent cervix yields diagnostic ranges of various parameters, in particular a time constant and the elastic ratio. The technique seems promising for easy detection of cervical incompetence, allowing suitable measures to be taken for prevention of immature deliveries. A mechanical model of the tissue of the ostium internum has further been developed on the basis of the measured characteristics.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000503:physiopathology; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012063:Relaxation; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D002581:Uterine Cervical Incompetence / Q000175:diagnosis*