title: Assessment of pelvic floor function: a series of simple tests in nulliparous women.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess normal ranges, variations, test-retest reliability and correlations between tests for a battery of simple, minimally invasive tests of pelvic floor function in nulliparous asymptomatic women. Women were recruited by advertisement and underwent dipstick urinalysis, simple cystometrics, provocative tests for incontinence, Q-tip test and surface electromyography with acrylic plug electrodes. Subjects were retested at a later date. Nineteen subjects underwent initial testing and 12 were retested. A wide range of normal values was obtained. Cystometric measures of first and strong urge to void the maximum bladder capacity, Q-tip test and rectal perineometry had significant correlations between the two visits. There were no significant between-test correlation coefficients. It was concluded that the simple tests used demonstrate a mixed ability to follow pelvic floor function longitudinally.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7570, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thorp
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Ananth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003371:Cough / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016482:Urinalysis; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology; D014554:Urination; D014563:Urodynamics