title: The evaluation of bioelectrical activity of pelvic floor muscles depending on probe location: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective was to determine how the depth of probe placement affects functional and resting bioelectrical activity of the PFM and whether the recorded signal might be dependent on the direction in which the probe is rotated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised of healthy, nulliparous women between the ages of 21 and 25.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bioelectric activity of the PFM was recorded from four locations of the vagina by surface EMG and vaginal probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences between the results during functional sEMG activity. During resting sEMG activity, the highest bioelectrical activity of the PFM was observed in the L1 and the lowest in the L4 and a statistically significant difference between the highest and the lowest results of resting sEMG activity was observed (P = 0.0043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different electrodes placement during functional contraction of PFM does not affect the obtained results in sEMG evaluation. In order to diagnose the highest resting activity of PFM the recording plates should be placed toward the anterior vaginal wall and distally from the introitus. However, all of the PFM have similar bioelectrical activity and it seems that these muscles could be treated as a single muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole, Katowicka 68, 45-060 Opole, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Halski
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, K. Bartla 5, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kuba
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ptaszkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biomechanics and Physiotherapy in Motor System Disorders, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Grunwaldzka 2, 50-355 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Słupska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, K. Bartla 5, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dymarek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D014621:Vagina