Quantifying the physiologic motions of the pelvic viscera during evacuation in nulligravid asymptomatic women

Introduction and hypothesis Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is often diagnosed during an in-office examination, which looks for motion of the vaginal wall while performing a strain maneuver. It is believed that the pelvic organs in adequately supported women are relatively stationary. This study was aimed at investigating the physiological displacements of pelvic organs using MR defecography. Methods This prospective cohort study included 19 volunteers. Midsagittal slices representing rest and the maximum movement of the posterior vaginal fornix during three maneuvers were identified. Normalized axes for analysis were defined as the x’ (line connecting the inferior–posterior-most point on the pubic symphysis to the anterior edge of the sacrococcygeal joint) and the y’ (line orthogonal to the x axis that passed through the sacral promontory). The positions of the posterior vaginal fornix, mid-vagina, bladder neck, anorectal junction, and hymen were recorded. These subjects were then analyzed using the current radiological grading system of POP to determine any overlap between asymptomatic subjects and diagnostic ranges of POP. Results Evacuation caused the most motion in the landmarks. The majority of the motion of the landmarks was along the y axis. The posterior vaginal fornix experienced significant descent (125% of the initial distance) without much anterior–posterior translation (7% of the initial distance) during defecation. All landmarks experienced similar trends. Conclusions We have shown that there is significant rotational motion of the pelvic organs around the pubic bone in adequately supported women. This motion when described using radiological grading is likely to be considered mild or moderate prolapse, which may contribute to overdiagnosis of POP.