Investigating pelvic floor birth trauma by vaginal elastometry.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mitigating chronic pelvic floor dysfunction following childbirth by pelvic floor elastometry
IRAS ID
156944
Contact name
DOC Anumba
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
To assess the potential clinical utility of measuring pelvic floor muscle tone after childbirth by vaginal elastometry (dynamometry), we will study 50 consecutive consenting first attendees of the Jessop Wing perineal trauma clinic. In addition to clinical and imaging assessment routinely offered women at this clinic, we will measure their active and passive pelvic floor muscle tone using the Auckland vaginal elastometer. We will also assess structural pelvic floor muscle damage (PFMD) in a subset of 12 women (6 symptomatic and 6 asymptomatic) by MRI scan of the pelvic hiatus. We will then determine the predictive capacity of vaginal elastometry for symptoms of pelvic floor damage, findings of endo-anal sonography, and MR scans of the pelvic floor hiatus. We will determine if vaginal elastometry can prove an objective and accurate frontline assessment tool for the management of PFMD following childbirth. Our observations will generate vital data for powering and designing a large clinical trial evaluating the potential use of the vaginal elastometer as a first line assessment tool of PFMD in the postnatal period. Data will also inform the design of a personalised model for predicting and managing pelvic floor muscle damage during childbirth.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NE/1014
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion