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Lies, damned lies, and pelvic floor illustration: Confused about pelvic floor anatomy? You are not alone

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Abstract

Dissection reveals elegant simplicity in pelvic floor structure. So, why are so many of us confused about the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor is in an invisible region between what we see from above and below, so our experience does not help. It is confusing because there is conflict between existing illustrations, so we do not know which are false and which are true. To resolve conflicts in pelvic anatomy we must: recognize the Vesalian principle that truth lies in the body, not necessarily in books; commit to focusing on structures rather than words; and overcome “theory-induced blindness,” the psychological principle that discounts what is seen when it contradicts a theory we believe. We should revive century-old standards that require accuracy in anatomical illustration analogous to the p value in statistics. Committing to anatomical accuracy will ensure that we no longer navigate in surgery and research using a flawed map.

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Notes

  1. This value is not even evidence based. It was just made up in the 1930s by R. A. Fischer, who did not think it was the only value that could be used; he also discussed using 0.1, 0.01, and other values depending on the situation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan Medical School, L4208 UHS, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    John O. L. DeLancey

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  1. John O. L. DeLancey
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Correspondence to John O. L. DeLancey.

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DeLancey, J.O.L. Lies, damned lies, and pelvic floor illustration: Confused about pelvic floor anatomy? You are not alone. Int Urogynecol J 33, 453–457 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-022-05087-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-022-05087-8

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