Comparison between measurements obtained with three different perineometers.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the results obtained in the evaluation of intra-vaginal pressure using three different brands of perineometers in nulliparous volunteers.


METHODS
Twenty nulliparous women with no anatomical alterations and/or dysfunction of the pelvic floor were enrolled in our study. All the women had the ability to voluntarily contract their PFM (Pelvic Floor Muscles), as assessed by digital palpation. The intra-vaginal pressure was assessed using three different brands of perineometer (Neurodyn Evolution, SensuPower and Peritron). Each volunteer was evaluated on three alternate days by a single examiner using a single brand of perineometer on each day. In the assessment, the volunteers were required to pull (contract) their PFM in and up as strongly as possible 3 times and to sustain the contraction for 5 seconds, with an interval of 30 seconds between each pull. For the statistical analysis, a concordance correlation coefficient was used to compare the values that were obtained with each brand of perineometer.


RESULTS
A moderate concordance (0.51) was found between the results from the Peritron and Neurodyn perineometers, a fair concordance (0.21) between the Peritron and SensuPower brands and a poor concordance (0.19) between the Neurodyn and SensuPower brands.


CONCLUSIONS
The concordance of the measurements of the intra-vaginal pressure ranged from poor to moderate, suggesting that perineometers of different brands generate different results.
Barbosa
Patrícia Brentegani
PB
Department of Biomechanics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. patricia_brentegani@yahoo.com.br
Franco
Maíra Menezes
MM
Souza
Flaviane de Oliveira
Fde O
Antônio
Flávia Ignácio
FI
Montezuma
Thaís
T
Ferreira
Cristine Homsi Jorge
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010298:Parity; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011312:Pressure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014159:Transducers; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult