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Assessment of pelvic floor movement using transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound

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Abstract

The aims of the study were (1) to assess the reliability of transabdominal (TA) and transperineal (TP) ultrasound during a pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction and Valsalva manoeuvre and (2) to compare TA ultrasound with TP ultrasound for predicting the direction and magnitude of bladder neck movement in a mixed subject population. A qualified sonographer assessed 120 women using both TA and TP ultrasound. Ten women were tested on two occasions for reliability. The reliability during PFM was excellent for both methods. TP ultrasound was more reliable than TA ultrasound during Valsalva. The percentage agreement between TA and TP ultrasound for assessing the direction of movement was 85% during PFM contraction, 100% during Valsalva. There were significant correlations between the magnitude of the measurements taken using TA and TP ultrasound and significant correlations with PFM strength assessed by digital palpation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Curtin University Postgraduate Scholarship Awards and the Physiotherapy Research Foundation of Australia for financial assistance. The support from Dr Anthony Murphy for use of ultrasound equipment, Nicole David for the preparation of the graphics and Ritu Gupta for statistical advice is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia

    Judith A Thompson, Peter B O’Sullivan & Kathy Briffa

  2. School of Physiotherapy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia

    Patricia Neumann

  3. Department of Ultrasound, Attadale Private Hospital, 21 Hislop Road, Attadale, WA, 6156, Australia

    Sarah Court

Authors
  1. Judith A Thompson
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  2. Peter B O’Sullivan
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  3. Kathy Briffa
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  4. Patricia Neumann
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  5. Sarah Court
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Correspondence to Judith A Thompson.

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Thompson, J.A., O’Sullivan, P.B., Briffa, K. et al. Assessment of pelvic floor movement using transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound. Int Urogynecol J 16, 285–292 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-005-1308-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-005-1308-3

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