title: Mechanical properties of pelvic soft tissue of young women and impact of aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The female pelvic floor is a complex network of ligaments and muscles whose mechanical properties have not been completely understood. The goal of this study is to understand the biomechanical properties of the pelvic floor tissues of young women and the impact of aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biomechanical uniaxial tension tests were performed on pelvic floor tissues (ligaments and organs) of six young female cadavers (average 29 years old). Results have been analyzed in order to define the characteristics of the mechanical properties of young pelvic soft tissues. Results have been compared with those in the literature in order to understand the similarities and discrepancies between young and old patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Damageable, nonlinear elastic biomechanical behavior is observed. The variation in stiffness among the pelvic floor organs could be shown. Ligaments and the vaginal wall are the most rigid organs, whereas the rectum and bladder tend to be less rigid (approximately two times less rigid for small deformations and three times less rigid for large deformations). This study shows that ligaments and the vaginal wall of young women have similar mechanical behavior while those of older women differ. Furthermore, young women's tissues differ slightly from older women's tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results show that aging and possibly diverse "trauma" have an impact on modifying the mechanical behavior of pelvic floor tissues. Over time pelvic floor ligaments and vaginal tissues will differentiate and acquire different mechanical behavior, as seen within the literature in older cadavers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Jeanne de Flandre Hospital-CHRU de Lille; Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale U703, University Nord de France, Lille, France, pierre.chantereau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chantereau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brieu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kammal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farthmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001956:Broad Ligament / Q000502:physiology*; D002102:Cadaver; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012007:Rectum / Q000502:physiology*; D012404:Round Ligament of Uterus / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult