Recent Advances in Understanding Pelvic-Floor Tissue of Women With and Without Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Considerations for Physical Therapists

Skeletal Muscle Complex Between the Vagina and Anal Canal: Implications for Perineal Laceration

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

The anatomy of the skeletal muscles located between the vagina and anus is important during complex obstetric laceration reconstructions. We aimed to clarify the composition of skeletal muscles located between the vagina and anal canal and their three-dimensional configuration relevant to perineum repair.

METHODS

This observational study involved ten female cadavers. An anatomical dissection was performed to observe the muscles around the vagina and anal canal. Immunohistological analysis of the midsagittal section was performed to clarify the composition of the muscles, and dissection was performed to correspond to the cross-section. Wide-range serial sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction were used to support these findings histologically and visualize the three-dimensional arrangement.

RESULTS

The region between the vagina and anal canal included the anterior part of the external anal sphincter, superficial transverse perineal muscle approaching from the lateral side, and levator ani, located cranially. They converge three-dimensionally in the median from each direction, forming a muscle complex between the vagina and anal canal.

CONCLUSIONS

The medial region between the vagina and anal canal in those giving birth includes a skeletal muscle complex formed by the confluence of the external anal sphincter, anterior bundle of the levator ani, and superficial transverse perineal muscle. In cases of severe perineal lacerations, these muscles could be injured. The anatomical knowledge that a part of the levator ani forms a muscle sling anterior to the anal canal is particularly important for obstetricians and gynecologists repairing obstetric lacerations and treating pelvic floor disorders.

Women’s knowledge about the physical therapist’s performance in women’s health

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the profile of knowledge of Brazilian women about the physical therapist’s role in women’s health. The women answered an online questionnaire containing: socioeconomic, demographic data, knowledge about the role of physical therapy in women’s health, and current health conditions. Descriptive analyses were carried out to characterize the sample, levels of knowledge and self-report of pelvic floor dysfunctions, and the association between general knowledge, self-report of dysfunctions, and knowledge of the sub-areas of physical therapy in women’s health. In total, 446 women from all regions of Brazil participated: 86.3% from the Southeast, 9.4% from the South, 1.6% from the Northeast, 1.3% from the Midwest, and 1.3% from the North. The mean age was 30.1±10.5 years; the self-report of pelvic floor dysfunctions was 20.4% urinary incontinence, 27.6% sexual dysfunctions, 25.8% intestinal symptoms, and 6.7% chronic pelvic pain. Of the participants, 61% had some knowledge about the role of physical therapy in women’s health and 96.9% would like to know more about this specialty. Although many women are aware of this area, a minority has been referred to or has undergone specialized physical therapy treatment for women’s health. There was a statistically significant association between the level of knowledge of women about the physical therapist’s role in women’s health with the self-report of pelvic floor dysfunctions and the level of knowledge of the sub-areas of performance.

Perfil do conhecimento de mulheres sobre a atuação do fisioterapeuta na saúde da mulher

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o perfil do conhecimento de mulheres brasileiras sobre a atuação do fisioterapeuta na saúde da mulher. As participantes preencheram um questionário online contendo: dados socioeconômicos e demográficos, questões acerca do conhecimento sobre a atuação da Fisioterapia na Saúde da Mulher e das atuais condições de saúde. Foram realizadas análises descritivas para a caracterização da amostra, os níveis de conhecimento e o autorrelato de disfunções do assoalho pélvico e para a associação entre o conhecimento geral, o autorrelato de disfunções e o conhecimento das subáreas da Fisioterapia na Saúde da Mulher. Participaram 446 mulheres de todas as regiões do Brasil, sendo 86,3% do Sudeste, 9,4% do Sul, 1,6% do Nordeste, 1,3% do Centro-Oeste e 1,3% do Norte. A média de idade foi de 30,1±10,5 anos. O autorrelato de disfunções do assoalho pélvico foi de 20,4% de incontinência urinária, 27,6% de disfunções sexuais, 25,8% sintomas intestinais e 6,7% de dor pélvica crônica. Das participantes, 61% apresentavam algum conhecimento sobre a área da Fisioterapia na Saúde da Mulher e 96,9% gostariam de conhecer mais sobre essa especialidade. Apesar de muitas mulheres terem conhecimento sobre essa área, uma minoria já foi encaminhada ou realizou tratamento especializado de Fisioterapia na Saúde da Mulher. Houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre o nível de conhecimento das mulheres sobre a atuação do fisioterapeuta na saúde da mulher com o autorrelato de disfunções do assoalho pélvico e o nível de conhecimento das subáreas de atuação.

Endometrial SUSD2+ Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Tissue Engineering: Advances in Novel Cellular Constructs for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Cellular therapy is an emerging field in clinical and personalised medicine. Many adult mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSC) or pluripotent derivatives are being assessed simultaneously in preclinical trials for their potential treatment applications in chronic and degenerative human diseases. Endometrial mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (eMSC) have been identified as clonogenic cells that exist in unique perivascular niches within the uterine endometrium. Compared with MSC isolated from other tissue sources, such as bone marrow and adipose tissue, eMSC can be extracted through less invasive methods of tissue sampling, and they exhibit improvements in potency, proliferative capacity, and control of culture-induced differentiation. In this review, we summarize the potential cell therapy and tissue engineering applications of eMSC in pelvic organ prolapse (POP), emphasising their ability to exert angiogenic and strong immunomodulatory responses that improve tissue integration of novel surgical constructs for POP and promote vaginal tissue healing.

Emerging Nano/Micro-Structured Degradable Polymeric Meshes for Pelvic Floor Reconstruction

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a hidden women's health disorder that impacts 1 in 4 women across all age groups. Surgical intervention has been the only treatment option, often involving non-degradable meshes, with variable results. However, recent reports have highlighted the adverse effects of meshes in the long term, which involve unacceptable rates of erosion, chronic infection and severe pain related to mesh shrinkage. Therefore, there is an urgent unmet need to fabricate of new class of biocompatible meshes for the treatment of POP. This review focuses on the causes for the downfall of commercial meshes, and discusses the use of emerging technologies such as electrospinning and 3D printing to design new meshes. Furthermore, we discuss the impact and advantage of nano-/microstructured alternative meshes over commercial meshes with respect to their tissue integration performance. Considering the key challenges of current meshes, we discuss the potential of cell-based tissue engineering strategies to augment the new class of meshes to improve biocompatibility and immunomodulation. Finally, this review highlights the future direction in designing the new class of mesh to overcome the hurdles of foreign body rejection faced by the traditional meshes, in order to have safe and effective treatment for women in the long term.