OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risky factors for pelvic floor functional disorder.
 METHODS: A total of 346 patients, who undergone surgery for pelvic floor reconstruction from January 2007 to December 2013 in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, were enrolled for this study and served as an experimental group. Meanwhile, 349 female healthy subjects were selected as a control group. The data including the times of gestation and parity, history of menopause, hysterectomy surgery, uterine fibroid and leucorrhea were recorded.
 RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the numbers of people with hysterectomy, menopause and clean vagina≥III degree, lack of lactobacillus as well as the times of gestation and parity in the experimental group were significantly increased (P<0.05). The history of hysterectomy, the times of gestation and parity and lack of lactobacillus in vagina were the independent risk factors of pelvic floor dysfunction.
 CONCLUSION The history of hysterectomy, the times of gestation and parity, and clean vagina may involve in the occurrence and development of pelvic floor functional disorder, and the existence of lactobacillus in the vagina might be a protective factor.
Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lactobacillus ; isolation & purification ; Menopause ; Multivariate Analysis ; Parity ; Pelvic Floor ; physiopathology ; Pelvic Floor Disorders ; physiopathology ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Vagina ; microbiology

PURPOSE: Existing data supports a relationship between pelvic floor dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms. We developed a survival model of pelvic floor dysfunction in the rabbit and evaluated cystometric (CMG), electromyographic (EMG) and ambulatory voiding behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve female adult virgin rabbits were housed in metabolic cages to record voiding and defecation. Anesthetized CMG/EMG was performed before and after treatment animals (n=9) received bilateral tetanizing needle stimulation to the pubococcygeous (PC) muscle and controls (n=3) sham needle placement. After 7 days all animals were subjected to tetanizing transvaginal stimulation and CMG/EMG. After 5 days a final CMG/EMG was performed. RESULTS: Of rabbits that underwent needle stimulation 7 of 9 (78%) demonstrated dysfunctional CMG micturition contractions versus 6 of 12 (50%) after transvaginal stimulation. Needle stimulation of the PC musculature resulted in significant changes in: basal CMG pressure, precontraction pressure change, contraction pressure, interval between contractions and postvoid residual; with time to 3rd contraction increased from 38 to 53 minutes (p=0.008 vs. prestimulation). Vaginal noxious stimulation resulted in significant changes in: basal CMG pressure and interval between contractions; with time to 3rd contraction increased from 37 to 46 minutes (p=0.008 vs. prestimulation). Changes in cage parameters were primarily seen after direct needle stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: In a majority of animals, tetanizing electrical stimulation of the rabbit pelvic floor resulted in voiding changes suggestive of pelvic floor dysfunction as characterized by a larger bladder capacity, longer interval between contractions and prolonged contraction duration.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dystonia/*etiology ; Electric Stimulation/adverse effects/methods ; Electromyography/methods ; Female ; Muscle Contraction/physiology ; Pelvic Floor/*physiopathology ; Pelvic Floor Disorders/*complications/physiopathology ; Rabbits ; Urinary Bladder/physiopathology ; Urinary Retention/*etiology ; Urination/physiology ; Urine ; Vagina/*physiopathology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Biofeedback therapy has been widely used for the treatment of constipated patients. However, there are only a few reports about the clinical factors that can predict the effectiveness of biofeedback therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors before the initiation of biofeedback treatment in constipated patients. METHODS: Biofeedback treatment was performed in 114 patients with constipation. After classifying the patients into two groups, responder and non-responder by subjective and objective parameters, univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to evaluate the factors associated with effectiveness of biofeedback therapy. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients (74.6%) responded to biofeedback therapy. Pre-treatment balloon expulsion test, paradoxical contraction on manometry, defecation index and anal residual pressure during straining were the factors that influenced the results of biofeedback treatment. On multivariate analysis, defecation index (odds ratio=67.5, p<0.05) and paradoxical contraction on manometry (odds ratio=0.053, p<0.05) were the factors that showed significant difference between the responders and non-responders. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that several pre-treatment prognostic factors are associated with response to biofeedback for the constipated patients. Using prognostic factors, we may be able to evaluate the patterns of pelvic floor dysfunction and responsiveness of biofeedback therapy for the patients with constipation.
*Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Constipation/physiopathology/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy on spastic pelvic floor syndrome (SPFS) treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34).

METHODSThirty-six cases of SPFS were treated with EA at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34), intermittent wave, 60 times/min in frequency, retained for 20 min. In general, the acupoints on one side were stimulated in each treatment. The bilateral acupoints stimulation was applied in serious cases. The treatment was given once every two days, five treatments made one session and totally three sessions were required. Before and after treatment, the clinical symptoms, anal kinetic indices defecation radiographic changes were observed. The follow-up observation was done in three months after the end of treatment.

RESULTSIn three-months follow-up after treatment, 14 cases were cured, 18 cases improved and 4 cases failed. The total effective rate was 88. 9%. After treatment, the cases of incomplete defecation, difficult defecation, anal pain and anal obstruction were reduced apparently as compared with those before treatment, indicating the statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). After treatment, rectal anal reflex threshold (ARA) was increased, anal maximal contraction pressure (AMCP) was reduced to (16.62±1.54) kPa and anal rest pressure (ARP) was significantly reduced to (7.22±0.36) kPa, indicating the statistical differences as compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01). After treatment, anorectal angle (ARA) in forceful defecation was increased to (116.55±9.42)°, the distance between the anorectal junction and the pubococcygeal line was decreased, and the impression of puborectal muscle was alleviated apparently as compared with that before treatment (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONEA at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34) achieves definite efficacy on SPFS and this therapeutic method obviously relieves the symptoms and deserves to be promoted in clinic.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Anus Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Constipation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Defecation ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Spasticity ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pelvic Floor ; pathology

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between bladder trabeculation, urinary function, and the stage of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The medical records of 104 patients with POP who underwent cystoscopies and urodynamic studies were reviewed retrospectively. Age, incidence of detrusor instability, stage and site of POP, and the parameters of urodynamic studies of patients with and without bladder trabeculation were compared. The difference in the incidence of bladder trabeculation was estimated between patients with and without a suspected bladder outlet obstruction. There were significant differences in the patients' age, stage of POP, and maximal voiding velocity. Patients with a suspected bladder outlet obstruction had a significantly higher incidence of bladder trabeculation. In addition, patients with advanced stages of POP were also found to have a higher incidence of bladder trabeculation.
Uterine Prolapse/complications ; Urodynamics/*physiology ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction/complications ; Urinary Bladder Diseases/*physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Rectal Prolapse/complications ; Prolapse ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Humans ; Female ; Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the neurophysiologic of detrusor overactivity (DO) due to partial bladder outflow obstruction (PBOO).

METHODSTwenty four female Wistar rats with DO caused by PBOO were studied simultaneously with ten sham-operated rats. An electrophysiological multi-channel simultaneous recording system was used to record pelvic afferent fiber potentials as well as the pudendal nerve motor branch potentials, external urethral sphincter electromyogram (EUS EMG) and abdominal muscle EMG during filling cystometry. To test the effect of the unstable contraction in DO rats after the decentralization of the central nervous system, DO rats were studied the changes of the unstable contraction after transection of the spinal cord (T(8) level), pelvic nerve, the sympathetic trunk, and the pudendal nerve.

RESULTSThe incidence of DO was 62.5% in filling cystometry. During filling cystometry, there are two type of DO contraction according to the changes of pelvic afferent fiber signals, the relevant nerves and muscles responses: the small pressure of the unstable contraction (S-DO) and the big pressure of the unstable contraction (B-DO). For the B-DO, there were significant changes in the recordings of pelvic afferent fiber, the motor branch of the pudendal nerve, EUS EMG, and abdominal muscle EMG. While all these differences have not been recorded during S-DO. Both the filling-voiding cycle and the unstable contraction of B-DO were eliminated and the base line of bladder pressure increased after T(8) spinal cord transection. While the S-DO was not affected by such transection. When bladder relevant nerves were transected by the sequence of the pelvic nerve, the sympathetic trunk, and the pudendal nerve, the filling-voiding cycle was eliminated. The base line of bladder pressure increased significantly. No B-DO was recorded, but the S-DO still existed.

CONCLUSIONThere are some bladder-genic factors take part in the DO contractions induced by PBOO.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Pelvic Floor ; innervation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Urinary Bladder ; innervation ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; complications ; physiopathology ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; etiology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo find more evidence for mechanism and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), we observed muscle tension and neuropeptide of pelvic floor muscle in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS30 SD adult female rats were randomly divided into suprasacral cord injury group (SS), spinal cord injury at or below the sacral level group (SC) and normal group; 4 weeks after transection of spinal cord, muscle tension including compliance and excitability, and neuropeptide were observed.

RESULTSCompliances in SC group, SS group and normal group were (16.23 +/- 4.46) g, (13.44 +/- 4.15) g and (14.46 +/- 5.61) g respectively, there were no difference among them (P > 0.05), but their excitability under best initial length were (0.35 +/- 0.19) g, (2.80 +/- 2.12) g and (7.75 +/- 2.98) g according to SC, SS and normal group, excitability under prolonged length were (2.61 +/- 0.73) g, (4.67 +/- 1.16) g, (14.86 +/- 3.79) g respectively. SC and SS group were both lower than normal group (P < 0.05), meanwhile SC group was much lower than SS group (P < 0.05); neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal peptide in SS and SC group were significant lower than normal group, and these two neuropeptides in SC were much lower than SS group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMuscular excitability and neuropeptide in pelvic floor muscle are decreased obviously at both below and above sacral cord injury, SCI below sacral cord makes much lower level excitability and neuropeptide. The abnormality in pelvic floor muscle after SCI should be emphasized.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Muscle Tonus ; physiology ; Neuropeptides ; metabolism ; Pelvic Floor ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the sensitivity and feasibility of pelvic floor dynamic MRI combining defecography with homemade high conformable sacculus in the management of obstructed defecation syndrome.

METHODSOne hundred and nine female with pelvic floor disorders, such as difficult defecation, fecal incontinence or urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, were treated from July 2007 to March 2009. Pelvic floor dynamic MRI and defecography with homemade high conformable sacculus was performed in the patients to evaluate pelvic floor anatomy.

RESULTSFifty-four cases (49.6%) of cystocele and 11 cases (10.1%) of rectouterine pouch hernia, 29 cases (26.6%) of perineum prolapse and 71 cases (65.2%) of rectocele were found by dynamic MRI. The dynamic MRI also revealed 19 cases (18.2%) of external sphincter trophy and 32 cases (29.4%) of spastic pelvic floor syndrome. Compared with defecography, dynamic MRI was more positive in diagnosing enterocele. Defecography Of the patients, sacrum-rectal separate was found in 33 cases (30.3%) and rectal mucosal prolapse or internal rectal intussusceptions in 41 cases (37.7%) by defecography, while dynamic MRI found none.

CONCLUSIONSAs a new noninvasive imaging technique to evaluate the pelvic floor function, dynamic MRI is more sensitive, especially for patients with complicated multi-organs prolapse, and its deficiency could be remedied by defecography.

Adult ; Aged ; Constipation ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Defecography ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Floor ; physiopathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Young Adult

Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is the most common conservative management for urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, whether the PFME guided by a therapist (G-PFME) can contribute to the recovery of urinary continence for patients after RP is still controversial. We performed this meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of G-PFME on UI after RP and to explore whether the additional preoperative G-PFME is superior to postoperative G-PFME alone. Literature search was conducted on Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed, to obtain all relevant randomized controlled trials published before March 1, 2018. Outcome data were pooled and analyzed with Review Manager 5.3 to compare the continence rates of G-PFME with control and to compare additional preoperative G-PFME with postoperative G-PFME. Twenty-two articles with 2647 patients were included. The continence rates of G-PFME were all superior to control at different follow-up time points, with the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 2.79 (1.53-5.07), 2.80 (1.87-4.19), 2.93 (1.19-7.22), 4.11 (2.24-7.55), and 2.41 (1.33-4.36) at 1 month, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery, respectively. However, there was no difference between additional preoperative G-PFME and postoperative G-PFME, with the OR (95% CI) of 1.70 (0.56-5.11) and 1.35 (0.41-4.40) at 1 month and 3 months after RP, respectively. G-PFME could improve the recovery of urinary continence at both early and long-term stages. Starting the PFME preoperatively might not produce extra benefits for patients at early stage, compared with postoperative PFME.
Humans ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology* ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology* ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Incontinence/therapy*

OBJECTIVETo explore the differences of electroacupuncture (EA) on onset time and symptom improvement for treatment of different types of functional constipation.

METHODSThirty-eight cases of constipation were selected, including 9 cases of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C), 10 cases of slow transit constipation (STC), 10 cases of pelvic floor dyssynergia (PFD) and 9 cases of inadequate defecatory propulsion (IDP). The electroacupuncture was applied at Tianshu (ST 25), Fujie (SP 14), Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25) and so on in abdominal and lumbosacral area, 5 times per week, 10 times as a treatment course. The onset time, score of clinical symptoms of constipation and improvement of every symptom in each group were compared.

RESULTS(1) The onset time was (1.78 +/- 0.83) days in IBS-C type, (3.11 +/- 1.90) days in IDP type, (4.10 +/- 1.85) days in STC type and (4.30 +/- 2.00) days in PFD type, indicating statistical differences between IBS-C type and STC type, IBS-C type and PFD type (both P < 0.05). (2) Compared before the treatment, the total scores of symptoms on the onset day in each group were all improved (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and score of IBS-C type was superior to the rest 3 types (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (3) EA improved desire to defecate or frequency of defecation in each type (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), in which both were improved in STC type and PFD type, and the improvement of defecation frequency was more significant in STC type (P < 0.01). EA relieved unsmooth defecation or pendant-expansion feeling in each type (all P < 0.05), in which both were improved in IBS-C type (both P < 0.05). EA relieved abdominal distension and pain in IBS-C type, STC type and PFD type (all P < 0.05), while its effects were not obvious on defecation difficulty, defecation time and defecation texture (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture for treatment of 4 types of constipation is characterized by rapid onset; the improved symptoms are not identical in the electroacupuncture treatment plan for each type of defecation; the main improvement of symptoms are lied on desire to defecate and frequency of defecation, unsmooth defecation or pendant-expansion feeling and abdominal distension and pain. Meanwhile the improvements of defecation texture, defecation difficulty and defecation time were not signi-ficant.

Adult ; Aged ; Constipation ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Defecation ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Floor Disorders ; complications ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult