Summary
Pressure transmission from the abdomen to the pre-urethral space has been studied in stress-incontinent women and in some women following pubococcygeal repair for stress incontinence. Pressure was recorded at different levels of the pre-urethral space and simultaneously in the bladder. Simultaneous measurements inside and outside the urethra at different levels above the external urethral meatus showed that an intra-abdominal pressure rise was transmitted via the pre-urethral space to the urethra. Pressure was transmitted almost in full to the surroundings of the lower-most part of the bladder, but outside the functional urethra, transmission was successively more defective along the urethra towards the external meatus. Therefore, a short functional length and a distal maximal pressure plateau in the urethra, as in stress incontinence, is a disadvantage. Pressure losses amount to 1/3 or more. Pressure transmission could be improved to “supranormal” values by establishing firm support for the urethra, thereby allowing a minimum of rotational descent with stress and providing good counterpressure.
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Öbrink, A., Bunne, G. & Ingelman-Sundberg, A. Pressure transmission to the pre-urethral space in stress incontinence. Urol. Res. 6, 135–140 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261313
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261313