Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
Laparoscopic Extracorporeal Knot-Tying for Uterine Vessel Occlusion during Hysterectomy with Cervical Cerclage in Large Uteri
Published on: September 12, 2025
Cervical funneling: effect on gestational length and ultrasound-indicated cerclage in high-risk women
Melissa S Mancuso1, Jeff M Szychowski, John Owen
1Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess funnel type and pregnancy duration in women with previous spontaneous preterm birth and cervical length <25 mm.
Study Design:
We performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial of cerclage. At the randomization scan that documented short cervix, the presence and type of funnel (U or V) were recorded.
Results:
One hundred forty-seven of 301 women (49%) had funneling: V-shaped funnel, 99 women; U-shaped funnel, 48 women. U-shaped funnel was associated significantly with preterm birth at <24, <28, <35, and <37 weeks of gestation. In multivariable models that controlled for randomization cervical length and cerclage, women with U-shaped funnel delivered earlier than women with either V-shaped funnel or no funnel. Interaction between cerclage and U-shaped funnel was observed, and analyses that were stratified by cerclage showed that women with a U-shaped funnel and cerclage delivered at a mean of 33.8 +/- 6.6 weeks of gestation, compared with women who did not receive cerclage (28.9 +/- 6.9 weeks of gestation).
Conclusion:
U-shaped funnels in high-risk women with a short cervix are associated with earlier birth.
