Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System
Published on: September 20, 2018
Levator ani defect status and lower urinary tract symptoms in women with pelvic organ prolapse
Daniel M Morgan1, Pamela Cardoza, Kenneth Guire
1Division of Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. morgand@med.umich.edu
Introduction And Hypothesis:
Among women with pelvic organ prolapse, compare rates of lower urinary tract symptoms by levator ani defect (LAD) status.
Methods:
Urinary incontinence and obstructive voiding are analyzed among 151 women with prolapse whose LAD status was determined with magnetic resonance imaging.
Results:
Women with major LAD are less likely to experience stress incontinence when "coughing, laughing, or sneezing" (odds ratio (OR) 0.27) and when "twisting, reaching, lifting, or bending over" (OR 0.26) than women with normal muscles. They are less likely to have obstructive symptoms characterized by assuming an "unusual toileting position" or "changing positions...to start or complete urination" (OR 0.27). Women with minor LAD are more likely to experience stress incontinence with exercise (OR 3.1) and urge incontinence (OR 4.0) than those with normal muscles.
Conclusions:
Lower urinary tract symptoms are less common among women with prolapse and major levator ani defects and more common among those with minor defects.
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Genitourinary System II: Bladder and Urethra
Muscles of the Pelvic Floor and Perineum
Perineal Layer
The perineum is a diamond-shaped area below the pelvic diaphragm, divided into an anterior urogenital triangle that contains the external genitals and a posterior anal triangle housing the anus. The urogenital...
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
Urinary Bladder
In males, the bladder is situated in front of the rectum, while in females, it is positioned anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bladder floor contains an inverted triangular area called the trigone, defined by the two ureteric...
Urinary Tract Calculi II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations

