title: Variation of distances from mid-urethra to the obturator foramen: an MRI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate distances from the mid-urethra to the obturator foramina and to explore correlations between pelvic dimensions and body height.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a secondary analysis of a parent case-control study on the mechanisms of stress urinary incontinence. We measured pelvic dimensions on magnetic resonance images of women with (cases, n = 50) and without (controls, n = 50) stress urinary incontinence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean distance from mid-urethra to the obturator membrane among cases is 31.8 mm (left) and 32.1 mm (right), with a range from 25.9 to 42.0 mm. There were no significant differences in these distances when comparing left with right, or cases with controls. Weak correlation was found between the urethra-to-obturator foramina distances and heights only in the case subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is high variability in the distance from mid-urethra to the obturator foramina. Height should not be used as a predictor of dimensions in the lesser pelvis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Charles University in Prague, First Faculty of Medicine and General Teaching Hospital, Apolinarska 18, Prague 2 12000, Czech Republic. petr.hubka@centrum.cz
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hubka
authors.forename: Stergios K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Doumouchtsis
authors.forename: Mitchell B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: DeLancey
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D053825:Suburethral Slings; D014521:Urethra / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000473:pathology*