On the Variation in Maternal Birth Canal In Vivo Viscoelastic Properties and Their Effect on the Predicted Length of Active Second Stage and Levator Ani Tears

The pubovisceral muscles (PVM) help form the distal maternal birth canal. It is not known why 13% of vaginal deliveries end in PVM tears, so insights are needed to better prevent them because their sequelae can lead to pelvic organ prolapse later in life. In this paper we provide the first quantification of the variation in in vivo viscoelastic properties of the intact distal birth canal in healthy nulliparous women using Fung ’s Quasilinear Viscoelastic Theory and a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial of constant force birth canal dilation to 8 cm diameter in the first stage of labor in 26 nullipara.

Source: Journal of Biomechanics - April 25, 2018 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Paige V Tracy, Shreya Wadhwani, Jourdan Triebwasser, Alan S Wineman, Francisco J Orejuela, Susan M Ramin, John O DeLancey, James A Ashton-Miller Source Type: research