Manometric scale of pelvic floor muscles strength in prostatectomized men

Abstract

Introduction: An assessment of muscle contraction is necessary to optimize therapeutic targets and control the evolution of stress urinary incontinence rehabilitation. Digital palpation in conjunction with perineometer are reliable for scientific requirements. However, the absence of reference values in manometer affects reading the assessment results. Objective: To develop a classification scale for manometry of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength in prostatectomized men. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Physiotherapy at Hospital dos Servidores (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). We evaluated a total of 100 patients, aged 51 to 78 years, who undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy. An expert performed the test using a perineometer. PFM strength data were collected and classified according to results. An evaluated scale was developed. Results: The Normal distribution of the PFM strength was estimated by use of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS d = 0.13; p = 0.10). Removal of nine outliers. The measurement of PFM strength of 91 participants was 56,4 ± 33 cmH2O. From these results, the manometric scale of the PFM strength was developed: excellent (above 123 cmH2O), very good (from 90 to 122 cmH2O), good (from 57 to 89 cmH2O), regular (from 24 to 56 cmH2O), and insufficient (below 23 cmH2O). Conclusion: The method developed has advantages: to eliminate predictor error, and to bridge the gaps among categories where PFM strength is not divided into grade levels.