PELVIC FASCIA STRENGTH IN WOMEN WITH STRESS URINARY-INCONTINENCE IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE WHO ARE CONTINENT

Biophysical properties of the anterior vaginal wall as well as the rec tus fascia were evaluated in vivo by penetrating the Stamey needle int o these tissues of 26 female patients with stress incontinence in comp arison with those of 21 continent subjects. The results demonstrated t hat shear strength of the anterior vaginal wall was lower in incontine nt patients than in continent subjects (P < 0.01). Shear strength of t he rectus fascia in the patients, which was not supposed to be related to urinary incontinence and should have had the same strength as the control subjects, was also found to be lower than the control (P < 0.0 1). Shear strength of the vaginal wall was not correlated with age irr espective of their continence status (P > 0.05). Based on our findings it is concluded that some women suffering from stress incontinence ma y have a hereditary disorder of biophysical properties of the tissues. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.