You have accessJournal of UrologyUrodynamics/Incontinence/Female Urology: Basic Research I1 Apr 201234 UTILIZATION OF A SUBJECT-SPECIFIC PELVIC MODELING APPROACH TO STUDY URETHRAL HYPERMOBILITY IN A VALSALVA SIMULATION Yingchun Zhang, Gerald Timm, Nissrine Nakib, Robert Sweet, and Arthur Erdman Yingchun ZhangYingchun Zhang Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author , Gerald TimmGerald Timm Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author , Nissrine NakibNissrine Nakib Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author , Robert SweetRobert Sweet Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author , and Arthur ErdmanArthur Erdman Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.02.077AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Urethral hypermobility (UH) results from weakening of urethral-supporting structures leading to downward displacement and rotation of the urethra. Our research goal is to investigate the role of each anatomical structure of the female pelvic floor in the urethral-supporting function to better understand UH by using a subject-specific pelvic modeling approach. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated in this study by simulating dynamic urethral mobility during a Valsalva maneuver. METHODS The subject-specific pelvic model generation procedure is used to build a female subject's specific pelvic model (Fig 1) from the MR images of her pelvis. The pelvic model developed in this study consists of over 35 anatomical parts including 10 pelvic muscles, 10 pelvic ligaments, etc. The intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is recorded during her Valsalva maneuver as the input of her pelvic model, and a dynamic fluid-structure interaction (FSI) finite element (FE) analysis is then performed. The simulated dynamic biomechanical responses of the urethra and bladder neck are utilized to assess her urethral mobility. As a feasibility study, an IAP of 100 mm Hg was assumed in the present Valsalva simulation. RESULTS Fig 2 shows the displacement distribution over the bladder induced by the increased IAP. Dynamic biomechanical response of the bladder neck and urethra indicated urethral mobility was also achieved from the dynamic FSI analysis results but could not be shown here. A video will be presented at the AUA conference to demonstrate the capability of the subject-specific pelvic modeling approach in dynamically simulating the biomechanical responses induced by IAP changes. CONCLUSIONS The feasibility of utilizing the subject-specific pelvic modeling approach to assess urethral mobility was demonstrated through a Valsalva simulation. A future parametric study will be conducted to investigate the influence of changes in anatomical geometry and mechanical properties on urethral mobility by utilizing this pelvic modeling approach. © 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 187Issue 4SApril 2012Page: e13-e14 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Yingchun Zhang Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author Gerald Timm Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author Nissrine Nakib Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author Robert Sweet Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author Arthur Erdman Minneapolis, MN More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...