Intravaginal pressure assessed by the Kegel perineometer

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Pelvic floor function
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Intravaginal pressure measurement is crucial for assessing pelvic floor muscle strength.
• Establishing normative data is essential for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
• Previous research has lacked comprehensive data on intravaginal pressure norms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative data for intravaginal pressure in healthy women.
• To investigate the relationship between pelvic muscle contraction and resting pressure.
• To explore correlations between demographic factors and intravaginal pressure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Kegel perineometer for intravaginal pressure measurements.
• Recruited a sample of 78 white and 64 black females.
• Measured both resting intravaginal pressure and pressure during pelvic muscle contraction.

Main Results:

• Normal resting intravaginal pressure approximates 5 mm Hg.
• Average contracted intravaginal pressure reaches approximately 15 mm Hg.
• A moderate negative correlation was observed between the number of vaginal births and contracted pressure in white women.

Conclusions:

• The study provides the first normative data for intravaginal pressure using the Kegel perineometer.
• Pelvic floor muscle contraction significantly increases intravaginal pressure.
• Vaginal parity may influence pelvic floor muscle strength as indicated by contracted pressure in white women.