Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Functional and Morphological Assessment of Diaphragm Innervation by Phrenic Motor Neurons
Published on: May 25, 2015
The anal sphincter in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy
1Gastroenterologisches Institut Wiesbaden, Neurologische Klinik, Universität Mainz, Germany.
Abstract:
The objective of this prospective study was to determine anal sphincter function and thickness of the anal musculature in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy. Manometric studies were performed in 16 patients with myotonic dystrophy and in 16 healthy controls. Patients had significantly lower basal and squeeze pressures than control subjects (P less than 0.01). The results of ultrasonographic studies of the anal canal in 7 patients and 7 control subjects suggest that this decrease in muscle strength is partly explained by muscular atrophy. In addition, patients with myotonic dystrophy showed exaggerated rebound contractions following and sphincter relaxation that was induced by rectal distention. The pattern of this response and the results of electromyographic studies in 6 patients with myotonic dystrophy suggest that such abnormalities are explained by a neurogenic defect rather than a myotonic response of the anal musculature. It is concluded that patients with myotonic dystrophy show a multitude of defects in the anal sphincter that are an expression of myopathy, muscular atrophy, and neural abnormalities.
Related Concept Videos
Alterations in Muscle Tone lll
Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
Satellite Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy
Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Tests
The edrophonium test is a diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis. It involves...
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
Muscle Contraction

