Pelvic Muscles ’ Mechanical Response to Strains in the Absence and Presence of Pregnancy-Induced Adaptations in a Rat Model

Maternal birth trauma to the pelvic floor muscles is thought to be consequent to mechanical demands placed on these muscles during fetal delivery that exceed muscle physiological limits. The above is consistent with studies of striated limb muscles that identify hyperelongation of sarcomeres, the functional muscle units, as the primary cause of mechanical muscle injury and resultant muscle dysfunction. However, pelvic floor muscles ’ mechanical response to strains have not been examined at a tissue level.

Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology - February 9, 2018 Category: OBGYN Authors: Tatiana Catanzarite, Shannon Bremner, Caitlin L. Barlow, Laura Bou-Malham, Shawn O ’Connor, Marianna Alperin Source Type: research