[Urinary continence in the female--aspects of function]

The physiology of continence was studied in 33 continent and 62 incontinent females, respectively, under morphological aspects. Only 60 percent of the urethral length were found to ensure full close patency. This region is represented by a circular musculatory sphincter system. It was found that stress situations may cause changes in the sphincteric function along with a rise in the abdominal pressure. Urethral closure patency was found to be disturbed even at a resting state. The changes which were observed in the resting continence have been manifested themselves as a shortening of the closing proximal urethra "in itself" and a corresponding shortening of the absolute anatomical urethral length by the same proportion. The anatomical urethral length in females is therefore of clinical significance in the diagnostical screening for urinary incontinence.