E-Posters-10048

10048_Nguyen
Pdf Summary
The study aimed to investigate the relationship between gestational age and levator ani muscle thickness (LAMW) in pregnant women using pelvic MRI. The researchers also compared the LAMW measurements in their cohort to normative data in non-pregnant women. Data from patients with a singleton, viable, intrauterine pregnancy and a pelvic MRI from 2013-2017 were included in the study. Age, BMI, gestational age at the time of MRI, number of prior vaginal deliveries, number of cesarean deliveries, and indication for MRI were recorded.<br /><br />Using MRI images, the researchers measured LAMW at the inferior border of the obturator internus muscle. The right and left LAMW measurements were recorded and averaged. Spearman's correlation was used to analyze the association between gestational age and LAMW, controlling for other variables. A t-test was used to compare the LAMW in the cohort with normative data for non-pregnant nulliparous women.<br /><br />The results showed no correlation between gestational age and LAMW, suggesting that advancing gestational age does not cause major disruptions in pelvic floor architecture. However, significant differences in LAMW were observed between pregnant and non-pregnant women, indicating that pregnancy increases the loadbearing on the pelvic floor. It remains to be seen if pregnancy is a risk factor for future clinically significant changes in pelvic floor musculature.<br /><br />The study included 53 patients, with a median age of 33 years, a mean BMI of 27.8 kg/m2, and a median gestational age of 182 days. The most common indications for pelvic MRI were concern for appendicitis or placental invasion. The mean LAMW measurements in the cohort were 0.56 cm for the right side, 0.617 cm for the left side, and 0.59 cm for the pooled (average of right and left) LAMW. Weakly negative correlations between gestational age and LAMW were observed, but none were significant. For nulliparous pregnant patients, the pooled LAMW was significantly smaller than normative data for nulliparous, non-pregnant women.<br /><br />In conclusion, the study found no correlation between gestational age and LAMW in pregnant women. However, there were significant differences in LAMW between pregnant and non-pregnant women, suggesting increased loadbearing on the pelvic floor during pregnancy. Further research is needed to determine if pregnancy is a risk factor for clinically significant changes in pelvic floor musculature.
Keywords
gestational age
levator ani muscle thickness
LAMW
pregnant women
pelvic MRI
normative data
singleton pregnancy
vaginal deliveries
cesarean deliveries
MRI images