title: Real-time in vivo assessment of levator ani muscle deformation in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the deformation of the levator ani muscle in vivo with the use of real-time ultrasound imaging of the pelvic floor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two women with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction underwent real-time in vivo assessment of the strain of the pelvic floor during Valsalva effort. All participants underwent clinical examination, urodynamics and 3D/4D translabial ultrasound scan of the pelvic floor. The deformation curves of the levator ani muscle were plotted and the difference in compliance according to the grade of urogenital prolapse was measured. One-way ANOVA and Spearman's correlation were used to test for significance of the relationship between variables (significance level P<0.05). Test-retest analysis of the ultrasound measurements of the levator hiatal dimensions was also conducted using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The deformation curve of the levator hiatus showed a non-linear relationship with gradually increased Valsalva force, which was quite pronounced in the pubourethralis subdivision of the levator ani muscle complex. Women with significant pelvic organ prolapse demonstrated a less compliant levator ani muscle close to its origin from the pubic bone than women with non-significant prolapse (median maximum strain 26% vs 32%, respectively, P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Real-time in vivo assessment of levator ani muscle deformation in women is feasible and yields significant information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urogynaecology, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK. akderpapas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derpapas
authors.forename: Alessandro G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Digesu
authors.forename: Gopalan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vijaya
authors.forename: Ruwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: Vik
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khullar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver / Q000502:physiology