Clinical measurement of pelvic floor movement: evaluation of a new device.

Abstract

A new device that measures pelvic floor movement clinically was evaluated. The device consists of a rectal balloon with a magnet at its exterior end. The magnet moves in an electromagnetic field synchronous with the pelvic floor movements. This movement is measured and displayed on a computer screen in front of the seated patient. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers (15 females) were examined. On a separate day, 17 of them were tested a second time by the same investigator and a third time by a different investigator. One volunteer developed a vasovagal reaction. The median (range) pelvic floor lift and descent was 2 (range, 0.6-4.5) cm and 1.8 (range, 0.5-5.6) cm respectively. Day-to-day and interobserver reproducibility was good. Coughing and blowing a party balloon caused pelvic floor descent in the majority of participants. Twenty of 28 volunteers were able to expel the rectal balloon. The device measures cranial and caudal movements of the pelvic floor with minimal discomfort and good reproducibility. The device may have a large potential as biofeedback device in pelvic floor training.