Purpose: To evaluate inter-examiner reliability in the ultrasound (US) assessment of levator hiatal dimensions when different physiotherapists perform independent data acquisition and analysis.
Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 14 asymptomatic nulliparous women were imaged at rest, during pelvic floor muscle contraction, and during Valsalva manoeuvre by two physiotherapists using three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) transperineal US. Examiners each measured the dimensions of the levator hiatus (area and antero-posterior and transverse diameters) from the US volumes they respectively acquired. Inter-examiner reliability was determined using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs), and inter-examiner agreement was determined using Bland-Altman analyses.
Results: The ICC results demonstrated very good inter-examiner reliability (ICC=0.84-0.98); Bland-Altman results showed high inter-examiner agreement across all measurements.
Conclusions: Trained examiners may be considered interchangeable in the US assessment of levator hiatal biometry. Overall, trained physiotherapists using transperineal US imaging to assess levator hiatal biometry can be confident when comparing their own clinical findings to those of their colleagues and to findings published in the literature.
The study aimed to compare the length of the levator ani hiatus and the occurrence of cystocele in postpartum women at risk of pelvic floor dysfunction using transperineal ultrasound in both standing and supine positions.
Conducted on 100 women who delivered vaginally, the research found that the measurement of hiatal diameter and cystocele detection were significantly higher while standing compared to lying down.
The results suggest that performing ultrasound in the standing position is more effective for identifying pelvic floor issues, which could impact how healthcare providers evaluate and manage postpartum pelvic health.
Purpose: This study evaluated pelvic organ positions in primiparas with painful and painless deliveries using transperineal ultrasound (TPU) and assessed the effects of epidural anesthesia on pelvic floor function.
Methods: From January 2022 to March 2023, 512 primiparas with vaginal deliveries at our hospital underwent pelvic floor ultrasound examinations 42 days postpartum. The study included 138 women with painful deliveries and 375 with painless deliveries.
(1) Background: Vulvodynia is characterized by vulvar pain for at least three months and may have related variables, one of these being pelvic floor hypertonus. The purpose of this study was to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of two weekly sessions of pelvic floor rehabilitation and 5 mg of vaginal diazepam daily vs. pelvic floor rehabilitation alone in individuals with vulvodynia.
- The study investigates how the levator ani muscle's hiatus (LH) area relates to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and finds that both conditions are linked, especially as the number of pregnancies increases.
- Researchers evaluated 104 patients, using perineal ultrasound to compare those with GDM and POP against those without, noting significant differences in the LH area and dimensions between the two groups.
- The findings revealed that a specific LH area measurement can effectively help diagnose POP, with a cutoff value established at 13.54 cm², showing strong sensitivity for identifying the condition.
