Pelvic musculoskeletal disorders related to pregnancy

Abstract

Stress on the axial skeleton and pelvic rim during childbearing and childbirth may lead to acute disorders, including pain, neurologic compression, joint disruption, and hematogenous infections. Pregnancy causes biomechanical changes that may lead to a wide spectrum of pelvic musculoskeletal disorders with morphologic changes on imaging that require detailed understanding and accurate diagnosis by radiologists. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the main features of these disorders and to discuss the role of imaging.