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| A Novel Method for Quantitative Evaluation of Female Pelvic Floor Muscle Using Ultrasound Elastography |
| Huang Shuai1, Li Ling1,2, Lian Li1, Guo Juan3, Tao Zi1, Zhu Chaochao1, Wang Huifang3, Lu Minhua1* |
1School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and
Ultrasound Imaging, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong, China;
2Eastern Hospital of Shanghai at Ji'an, Jiangxi 343006, Jiangxi, China;
3Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong, China |
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Abstract Female pelvic floor dysfunction is a common disease which has become one of the five common chronic diseases threatening women's health. As one of supporting structures, pelvic floor muscle is critical to support the pelvic organs, maintain continence and prevent prolapse. Quantitative evaluation of pelvic floor muscle biomechanics is of great value for the diagnosis and treatment of female pelvic floor dysfunction. Our study aims to propose a noninvasive, quantitative and objective method for motion analysis of the pelvic floor muscles. Ultrasound data and force data during continuous contractive activitieswere simultaneously collected based on transperineal ultrasound scanners from 50 subjects. A two-dimensional motion tracking algorithm was used to monitor the motion of the pelvic floor muscles. Muscle displacement field was then computed. The parameter defined as MPu that is the tangential displacements of one interested point near pubis from the valid data of 37 subjects, showed good correlation with clinical measurement parameter (LBP) (r=-0.93). The continuous control ability of the pelvic muscles was further evaluated by measuring the average maintain time of the maximal contraction force and the maximum muscle thickness. Both of them were computed from the valid data of 37 subjectsand showed good correlation with the clinical grading result of prolapse. It is concluded that ultrasound measurements of tissue motions and biomechanics are of great value for clinical pelvic floor prolapse diagnosis.
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Received: 14 August 2016
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