Reliability of bidirectional and variable-opening equipment for the measurement of pelvic floor muscle strength.

Abstract

In evaluating pelvic floor muscles, it is important to use reliable and accurate methods. Therefore the objective of this study was to verify the reliability of bidirectional and variable-opening equipment designed to measure anteroposterior and left-right strength of pelvic floor muscles. Test-retest to assess reliability. Academic institution, primary level of clinical care. Seventeen nulliparous women between 20 and 33 years of age participated in the procedure during 3 consecutive weeks. A dynamometer was used to evaluate pelvic floor muscle strength. The reliability was tested in 3 sessions, with a 7-day interval between, excluding premenstrual and menstrual periods. On each day of data collection, 3 maximum voluntary contractions of pelvic floor muscles were measured. The abdominal and gluteus muscles were evaluated concomitantly to the assessment in an attempt to isolate the pelvic floor muscle contractions. To evaluate the test-retest reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient and the SEM. Intraclass correlation of pelvic floor muscle force values ranged from good to excellent. The SEM values for anteroposterior strength were 1.96 N and 1.86 N for left and right, respectively. Test-retest values demonstrated that the equipment we assessed to measure the anteroposterior and left-right force generated reliable pelvic floor muscle strength measurements.