Assessment of bioelectrical activity of synergistic muscles during pelvic floor muscles activation in postmenopausal women with and without stress urinary incontinence: a preliminary observational study

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic data of the women in each group

	Incontinence group (n=16)			Continence group (n=14)			P-value (Mann–Whitney U-test)
	Range	Mean	SD	Range	Mean	SD
Age (years)	50.0–75.0	63.9	5.9	55.0–79.0	66.1	6.3	0.2246
Weight (kg)	56.0–92.0	70.1	10.5	52.0–86.0	67.2	9.9	0.3423
Height (m)	1.50–1.72	1.62	0.06	1.46–1.71	1.59	0.07	0.2283
BMI (kg/m^2)	21.9–35.3	26.7	3.7	18.8–32.0	24.9	3.5	0.1467
Number of pregnancies	0.0–4.0	1.6	1.0	0.0–3.0	1.6	0.8	0.9944
ICIQ-SF	5.1–16.0	9.8	4.5	–	–	–	–

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; ICIQ-SF, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 1 Flow diagram includes detailed information on the excluded participants.

Abbreviation: SUI, stress urinary incontinence.

Table 2 Comparison of sEMG activity of muscles during resting and functional PFM activity (µV) between incontinence and continence groups

Muscles	Bioelectrical activity (µV)
	During resting PFM activity			During functional PFM activity
	Incontinence group	Continence group	P-value	Incontinence group	Continence group	P-value
Left side
AM	4.1±1.2	3.5±0.6	0.0936	5.2±4.5	4.3±1.8	0.5726
RA	5.8±1.0	5.0±0.5	0.0145	6.2±1.0	5.1±0.4	0.0017
GM	3.3±0.6	3.1±0.2	0.7155	4.3±3.7	3.5±0.8	0.9612
Right side
AM	3.9±1.0	4.2±1.4	0.4890	4.9±1.7	4.9±1.4	0.7821
RA	6.1±2.3	4.4±0.9	0.0085	6.4±2.2	4.6±1.0	0.0037
GM	3.8±1.8	3.5±1.0	0.8536	3.9±1.8	4.5±1.9	0.2304

Note: Statistically significant values (P<0.05) are marked in bold.

Abbreviations: PFM, pelvic floor muscle; sEMG, surface electromyography; AM, adductor magnus; GM, gluteus maximus; RA, rectus abdominis.

Figure 2 Comparison of resting and functional bioelectrical activity of the PFM between incontinence and continence groups.

Abbreviation: PFM, pelvic floor muscle.