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Pelvic floor muscle variables and levator hiatus dimensions: a 3/4D transperineal ultrasound cross-sectional study on 300 nulliparous pregnant women

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

The aims of the present study were to investigate the correlation among vaginal resting pressure and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength and endurance, and the correlation between the same variables and levator hiatus (LH) dimensions in nulliparous pregnant women.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of 300 nulliparous pregnant women, mean age 28.7 years (SD 4.3) and pre-pregnancy BMI 23.9 kg/m2 (SD 3.9), assessed at mean gestational week 20.8 (±1.4). Vaginal resting pressure and PFM strength and endurance were measured using a high precision pressure transducer connected to a vaginal balloon. LH dimensions (transverse and anterior–posterior diameters_ and LH area were assessed using 3/4D transperineal ultrasound in the axial plane of minimal hiatal dimensions using render mode. The Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlations among vaginal resting pressure and PFM strength and endurance, and between PFM variables and LH dimensions. Level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results

Pelvic floor muscle strength and vaginal resting pressure were significantly, but weakly correlated (r = 0.198, p < 0.001). PFM strength and endurance showed a strong correlation (r = 0.929, p < 0.001). High vaginal resting pressure was moderately correlated with a small LH area at rest (r = −0.451, p < 0.001), but there was no significant correlation neither between PFM strength and LH area at rest (r = −0.012, p = 0.84) nor between muscle endurance and LH area at rest (r = −0.014, p = 0.81). A strong PFM contraction correlated moderately with reduction of the LH area (r = −0.367, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance are strongly correlated, butdo not correlate with a smaller LH area at rest.

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Acknowledgements

We thank midwife Tone Breines Simonsen and physical therapist Kristin Gjestland for excellent work with recruiting participants, clinical testing and data entry and Professor of biostatistics Ingar Holme, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences for valuable advice on statistical analyses.

Funding

The study was funded by the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and The Research Council of Norway.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO Box 4014, Ullevål stadion, 0806, Oslo, Norway

    Kari Bø, Gunvor Hilde & Merete Kolberg Tennfjord

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway

    Kari Bø, Gunvor Hilde, Merete Kolberg Tennfjord, Jette Stær-Jensen, Franziska Siafarikas & Marie Ellstrøm Engh

  3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, and Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Jette Stær-Jensen, Franziska Siafarikas & Marie Ellstrøm Engh

Authors
  1. Kari Bø
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  2. Gunvor Hilde
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  3. Merete Kolberg Tennfjord
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  4. Jette Stær-Jensen
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  5. Franziska Siafarikas
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  6. Marie Ellstrøm Engh
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Correspondence to Kari Bø.

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Bø, K., Hilde, G., Tennfjord, M.K. et al. Pelvic floor muscle variables and levator hiatus dimensions: a 3/4D transperineal ultrasound cross-sectional study on 300 nulliparous pregnant women. Int Urogynecol J 25, 1357–1361 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-014-2408-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-014-2408-8

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