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Musculoskeletal Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum pp 181–191Cite as

Pelvic Floor Injury and Consequences

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Abstract

An accepted risk factor for pelvic floor injuries is vaginal birth, and its concomitant birth trauma. Muscular trauma occurs in the pelvic floor, as much as any other trauma, but is not often thought of as “muscular.” Although much of the effect is mitigated over the life span, with conflicting evidence and unclear causal and mechanistic explanations in the literature of the role of birth trauma, understanding the impact of pelvic muscle trauma is imperative in appreciating women’s health over the life span. The greatest impact of vaginal birth trauma is on the incidence and prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (Obstet Gynecol, 2007;109:295–302). The prognosis of vaginal birth trauma on development or severity of urinary incontinence and anal incontinence is more difficult to determine because of the profound impact that aging has on these conditions. Immediately after birth, little is known about the sequelae of specific trauma other than in the short-term postpartum period. In what follows, the literature is reviewed with an aim to elucidate the role of pelvic floor injury, its impact, and prognosis on a parous woman’s pelvic floor.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology and Obstetrics/Gynecology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, 2160 South First Avenue Building 103, Suite 1004, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA

    Cynthia A. Brincat MD, PhD

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  1. Cynthia A. Brincat MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Cynthia A. Brincat MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Loyola University, Maywood, Illinois, USA

    Colleen M. Fitzgerald

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, USA

    Neil A. Segal

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Brincat, C.A. (2015). Pelvic Floor Injury and Consequences. In: Fitzgerald, C., Segal, N. (eds) Musculoskeletal Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14319-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14319-4_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14318-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14319-4

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