MRI studies in the evaluation of pelvic floor disorders

Abstract

Traditional knowledge of pelvic floor anatomy has been obtained by anatomists working on cadavers and consequently all our information is based on this mode of investigation. However, as a result of the embalming process, anatomic artifacts have been described and consequently our understanding of living anatomy is distorted. Furthermore, because ante-mortem clinical information is often lacking, such studies are limited in their ability to correlate anatomy with functional status. © 2006 Springer-Verlag London Limited.