Impact of labour and delivery on pelvic floor: perineometry and clinical evaluation. Any protecting factor?

Abstract

Pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFDs) include disorders like pelvic organ prolapse (POP), overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and faecal incontinence. Pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) are striated muscles that give support for pelvic organs and provide continuous tone to guarantee urinary and faecal continence together with the urinary and faecal sphincter. Weak PFMs are risk factors for PFDs. Women usually complain of these symptoms after menopause, even if in several epidemiological studies these disorders were associated with vaginal delivery. Uterine contractions and maternal expulsive efforts determine an excessive stretching of the levator ani muscle (LAM) with deformation of collagenous structures, compression of the ABSTRACT