title: [Physiopathology of the pelvic elements of support in stress urinary incontinence in women].
abstract: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is called as the involuntary loss of urine without the presence of detrusor contraction with bladder pressure that is higher than maximum urethral pressure. The SUI may be caused either by hypermobility of urethra or by inefficacious intrinsic urethral sphincter activity. It is clear that female urinary continence is established by the balance of opposed forces in the pelvis. The elements that contribute to the maintenance of continence are: 1) maximum urethral closure pressure; 2) anatomical and functional length of urethra; 3) ability of perineum to increase the urethral pressure simultaneously with the Valsalva's manoeuvre; 4) appropriate localization of the sphincteric unit. The alteration of the above-mentioned elements may be caused from no functionally of pubo-urethral ligaments and the laxity of cardinal ligaments and of pubic-cervical fascia.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Urologica, Università degli Studi, Sassari.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siracusano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mandras
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belgrano
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010388:Pelvis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology*
vernacular_title: Fisiopatologia degli elementi pelvici di sostegno nell'incontinenza urinaria da stress nella donna.