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Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Quantification of Levator Ani Hiatus Enlargement by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Males and Females with Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Published on: April 17, 2019
Assessment of Different Delivery Modes on Levator Ani Muscle and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Twin Pregnancy Using Pelvic
Minxian Meng1, Yue Zhai2, Shuihua Xu2
1Department of Ultrasound, Futian District Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China.
Objectives:
To assess the impact of different modes of delivery, vaginal delivery, and cesarean section, on the levator ani muscle (LAM) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women with twin pregnancies using pelvic floor ultrasound.
Methods:
84 pregnant women with twin pregnancies were randomized either into the vaginal delivery group or the cesarean section group.
Results:
The incidence of LAM injury was significantly lower in the cesarean section. The resting state and maximum Valsalva maneuver state LAM cleft areas were smaller in the cesarean section group, while the difference (Δ) in LAM area was larger. The sensitivity of LAM injury in diagnosing POP was 0.667. The optimal cutoff value for diagnosing POP based on the resting state LAM cleft area was determined to be 15.37.
Conclusion:
Pelvic floor ultrasound assessment of LAM status demonstrated some predictive value for the occurrence of POP at 6 months postpartum.
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