Aims
The terminology of obstetric pelvic floor disorders should be defined and reported as part of a wider clinically oriented consensus.
Methods
This Report combines the input of members of two International Organizations, the International Continence Society (ICS) and the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA). The process was supported by external referees. Appropriate clinical categories and a sub-classification were developed to give coding to definitions. An extensive process of 12 main rounds of internal and 2 rounds of external review was involved to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by consensus.
Results
A terminology report for obstetric pelvic floor disorders, encompassing 357 separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically-based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it usable by different specialty groups and disciplines involved in the study and management of pregnancy, childbirth and female pelvic floor disorders. Clinical assessment, investigations, diagnosis, conservative and surgical treatments are major components. Illustrations have been included to supplement and clarify the text. Emerging concepts, in use in the literature and offering further research potential but requiring further validation, have been included as an Appendix. As with similar reports, interval (5–10 year) review is anticipated to maintain relevance of the document and ensure it remains as widely applicable as possible.
Conclusion
A consensus-based Terminology Report for obstetric pelvic floor disorders has been produced to support clinical practice and research.
Aim
To determine the role of levator ani trauma in anal incontinence (AI), whilst controlling for anal sphincter injury.
Methods
The records of 1273 patients who had attended a tertiary urogynaecology unit between 1st of January to 31st December 2016 were reviewed. AI was assessed using St Mark's score and visual analogue scale (VAS). Levator muscle and anal sphincter trauma were examined by translabial ultrasound using tomographic imaging, with archived data sets investigated blinded against all clinical data. A complete avulsion was diagnosed if at least three central tomographic slices showed an abnormal muscle insertion, rated separately for each side. A significant anal sphincter defect was diagnosed if at least four out of six slices showed a defect of ≥ 30°.
Results
Avulsion was associated with St Mark's score (P = 0.005) and VAS bother of AI (P = 0.022) both on univariate analysis and when controlling for external anal sphincter (EAS) trauma on translabial imaging, forceps, body mass index (BMI) and age (P = 0.011 and P = 0.04, respectively). AI expressed as a binary variable was significantly associated with avulsion on univariate analysis (P = 0.011), although the association became nonsignificant after controlling for anal sphincter trauma, age, BMI and forceps delivery (P = 0.084).
Conclusion
In this retrospective observational study, we found a weak association between levator ani avulsion and measures of AI, which largely remained significant when controlling for anal sphincter trauma. However, given the large data set, any clinical effect of levator trauma on AI is likely to be minor.
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