title: Preoperative Membranous Urethral Length Measurement and Continence Recovery Following Radical Prostatectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
abstract: Membranous urethral length (MUL) measured prior to radical prostatectomy (RP) has been identified as a factor that is associated with the recovery of continence following surgery.
  
  
  
  To undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies reporting the effect of MUL on the recovery of continence following RP.
  
  
  
  A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases up to September 2015 was performed. Thirteen studies comprising one randomized controlled trial and 12 cohort studies were selected for inclusion.
  
  
  
  Four studies (1738 patients) that reported hazard ratio results. Every extra millimeter (mm) of MUL was associated with a faster return to continence (hazard ratio: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.08, p<0.001). Eleven studies (6993 patients) reported the OR (OR) for the return to continence at one or more postoperative time points. MUL had a significant positive effect on continence recovery at 3 mo (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14, p=0.004), 6 mo (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.09-1.15, p<0.0001). and 12 mo (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.22, p=0.006) following surgery. After adjusting for repeated measurements over time and studies with overlapping data, all OR data combined indicated that every extra millimeter of MUL was associated with significantly greater odds for return to continence (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.15, p<0.001).
  
  
  
  A greater preoperative MUL is significantly and positively associated with a return to continence in men following RP. Magnetic resonance imaging measurement of MUL is recommended prior to RP.
  
  
  
  We examined the effect that the length of a section of the urethra (called the membranous urethra) had on the recovery of continence after radical prostatectomy surgery. Our results indicate that measuring the length of the membranous urethra via magnetic resonance imaging before surgery may be useful to predict a longer period of urinary incontinence after surgery, or to explain a delay in achieving continence after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Westmead Private Physiotherapy Services, Westmead Private Hospital Sydney, Australia; The Clinical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: sean.mungovan@crinstitute.com.au.
authors.forename: Sean F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Mungovan
authors.affiliation: Urology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jaspreet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.affiliation: The Clinical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia; School of Science & Technology, University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
authors.forename: Neil A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Macquarie University, Australia.
authors.forename: Petra L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Surgery, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Manish I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014521:Urethra / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Membranous urethra; Membranous urethral length; Meta-analysis; Prostate cancer; Systematic review; Urinary incontinence