title: Pelvic floor musculature and bladder neck changes before and after continence recovery after radical prostatectomy in pelvic MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes in pelvic floor anatomy using MRI before and after continence recovery after radical prostatectomy (RP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen men with prostate cancer who underwent RP (mean age, 67.4 ± 8.8 years) volunteered for this study. Prostate MRIs were performed during the preoperative (i), incontinent (ii), and continent (iii) periods. The membranous urethra length (MUL), puborectalis muscle (PRM) thickness, and the position of the bladder neck in relation to the pubic bone (Dx) and the pubococcygeous line (Dy) were measured. We compared all parameters in the preoperative, incontinent, and continent periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MUL2 and MUL3 was significantly longer compared with MUL1, although no difference was found between MUL2 and MUL3. PRM3 thickness was significantly increased compared with PRM2 thickness. The Dx of the continence period was shorter than that of the incontinence period. The Dy of the continence period was longer than that of the incontinence period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PRM thickened and the bladder neck moved upward and forward during the continence period. The changes in PRM thickness and the position of bladder neck may play an important role in the recovery of continence after RP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul.
authors.forename: Dong Wan
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Chan Kyu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dong Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sun Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jinsoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Joung
authors.forename: Kang Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011467:Prostate / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation
keywords: pelvic MRI; postprostatectomy incontinence; prostate cancer; radical prostatectomy