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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Quantification of Levator Ani Hiatus Enlargement by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Males and Females with Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Quantification of Levator Ani Hiatus Enlargement by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Males and Females with Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Published on: April 17, 2019

Physical-based statistical shape modeling of the levator ani.

Su-Lin Lee¹, Emile Tan, Vik Khullar

¹Royal Society/Wolfson Foundation Medical Image Computing Laboratory, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK. su-lin.lee@imperial.ac.uk

IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging

|January 24, 2009

Summary

This study developed a statistical shape model of the levator ani muscle to understand pelvic floor function. The model accurately reflects muscle shape variations and strain, aiding surgical planning and understanding of pelvic floor disorders.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Anatomy
Biomechanics

Background:

The levator ani muscle is crucial for pelvic floor support, but its function is not fully understood.
Childbirth can damage the levator ani, impacting pelvic organ function and necessitating better surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

To create a physical-based statistical shape model of the levator ani muscle.
To simulate dynamic exercises and analyze strain distributions for functional insights.
To validate the model's correspondence with clinical findings and patient data.

Main Methods:

A statistical shape model was constructed from levator ani surfaces of 15 subjects using an open-access scanner.
Finite element analysis simulated dynamic exercises on the muscle surfaces.
Statistical shape modeling analyzed shape variability, thickness, and strain distributions.

Main Results:

The statistical shape model effectively captured inter- and intra-subject levator ani shape variability.
Modes of variation highlighted posterior levator ani movement and levator arm motion.
Strain distribution plots correlated with known clinical findings in pelvic floor disorders.

Conclusions:

The developed statistical shape model provides valuable insights into levator ani muscle function.
The model demonstrates potential for improving surgical planning for pelvic floor disorders.
Further validation confirmed the technique's repeatability and clinical relevance.