Validating a clinical measure of levator hiatus size.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluate the interrater reliability of levator hiatus (LH) size and correlate size to other measures of muscle function.


METHODS
Participants were examined independently by 2 examiners. During maximal contraction of the levator ani, the muscle was assessed by using Brink's scale. The LH was measured in the transverse and sagittal dimensions by digital palpation. The paired t test was used to compare continuous variables and Spearman's coefficient was used for correlations.


RESULTS
The mean LH transverse was 4.5 cm and the mean LH sagittal was 3 cm. The inter-rater correlation for the LH transverse measurement was 0.6 (P < .01) and 0.8 (P < .01) for the LH sagittal measurement. The correlations between the LH size and Brink's scale were moderate (correlation coefficient -0.4 to -0.5, P < .01). Eighty-three percent of measurements were within 1 cm.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique for clinical measurement of levator hiatus size shows good interrater reliability.
Boyles
Sarah Hamilton
SH
Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Edwards
S Renee
SR
Gregory
W Thomas
WT
Denman
Mary Anna
MA
Clark
Amanda L
AL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver / Q000502:physiology