Validity of Estimation of Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity from Transperineal Ultrasound Imaging in Men.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between displacement of pelvic floor landmarks observed with transperineal ultrasound imaging and electromyography of the muscles hypothesised to cause the displacements.

Materials And Methods: Three healthy men participated in this study, which included ultrasound imaging of the mid-urethra, urethra-vesical junction, ano-rectal junction and bulb of the penis. Fine-wire electromyography electrodes were inserted into the puborectalis and bulbocavernosus muscles and a transurethral catheter electrode recorded striated urethral sphincter electromyography.

Pattern of activation of pelvic floor muscles in men differs with verbal instructions.

Aims: To investigate the effect of instruction on activation of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in men as quantified by transperineal ultrasound imaging (US) and to validate these measures with invasive EMG recordings.

Methods: Displacement of pelvic floor landmarks on transperineal US, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) recorded with a nasogastric transducer, and surface EMG of the abdominal muscles and anal sphincter were recorded in 15 healthy men during sub-maximal PFM contractions in response to different verbal instructions: "tighten around the anus," "elevate the bladder," "shorten the penis," and "stop the flow of urine." In three men, fine-wire EMG recordings were made from puborectalis and bulbocavernosus, and trans-urethral EMG recordings from the striated urethral sphincter (SUS).