Reliability of bidirectional and variable-opening equipment for the measurement of pelvic floor muscle strength.
OBJECTIVE
In evaluating pelvic floor muscles, it is important to use reliable and accurate methods. Therefore the objective of this study was to verify the reliability of bidirectional and variable-opening equipment designed to measure anteroposterior and left-right strength of pelvic floor muscles.


METHODS
Test-retest to assess reliability.


METHODS
Academic institution, primary level of clinical care.


METHODS
Seventeen nulliparous women between 20 and 33 years of age participated in the procedure during 3 consecutive weeks.


METHODS
A dynamometer was used to evaluate pelvic floor muscle strength. The reliability was tested in 3 sessions, with a 7-day interval between, excluding premenstrual and menstrual periods. On each day of data collection, 3 maximum voluntary contractions of pelvic floor muscles were measured. The abdominal and gluteus muscles were evaluated concomitantly to the assessment in an attempt to isolate the pelvic floor muscle contractions.


METHODS
To evaluate the test-retest reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient and the SEM.


RESULTS
Intraclass correlation of pelvic floor muscle force values ranged from good to excellent. The SEM values for anteroposterior strength were 1.96 N and 1.86 N for left and right, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Test-retest values demonstrated that the equipment we assessed to measure the anteroposterior and left-right force generated reliable pelvic floor muscle strength measurements.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Brazil.
Fabiana Roberta
FR
Nunes
Carla Campos
CC
Martins
Elaine Caldeira de Oliveira
EC
Guirro
Rinaldo Roberto Jesus
RR
Guirro
D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult