title: MR features of the levator ani muscle in the immediate postpartum following cesarean delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to show that at the time of cesarean delivery, the active process of labor itself was sufficient to create early alterations of the pelvic floor musculature as detectable via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty primipara patients underwent pelvic MRI between the second and third day after cesarean delivery. Ten patients had a cesarean without labor while 20 patients underwent urgent cesarean delivery after the onset of labor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients undergoing active labor during cesarean had 2.7 times more abnormalities than the patients with cesareans without labor. The abnormalities the most frequently found were a hypersignal in the puborectalis (p = .004), a hypersignal in the iliococcygeus (p = .064) and a defect in the orientation of this same muscular bundle (p = .049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study suggests that active labor during the time of a cesarean induces early lesions of the pelvic muscular floor.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Imagerie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital Archet 2, Nice, France. NOVELLAS.S@chu-nice.fr
authors.forename: Sebastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novellas
authors.forename: Madleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chassang
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verger
authors.forename: Abdi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bafghi
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bongain
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chevallier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000473:pathology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult