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Introduction and Hypothesis: The objective was to analyze if the inability to perform a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) in a first assessment can influence the severity of urinary incontinence symptoms in women., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using the medical records of women with UI who were referred for pelvic floor physiotherapy after undergoing a gynecological evaluation between May 2013 and December 2019. Records included data referring to age, body mass index (BMI), obstetric history, Modified Oxford Scale (MOS), and the final score of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) from a baseline assessment. Data were divided into women who were unable and those who were able to voluntarily perform an MVC of the PFMs. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21., Results: A total of 498 medical records were analyzed and 36.3% of those women were not able to perform a PFM MVC after verbal command and digital stimulus. Homogeneity was observed among groups and no significant difference was found regarding the severity of UI symptoms when the groups were compared., Conclusions: No association was found between the inability to contract the PFMs and the severity of UI symptoms. Other studies should be developed to better understand why some women are incapable of performing a voluntary PFM contraction. Also, it would be relevant to compare women with PFM dysfunction who are not able to contract the PFMs with healthy women with the same PFM condition to analyze whether this muscle condition could be related to dysfunctions such as UI or pelvic organ prolapse., (© 2021. The International Urogynecological Association.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: The pelvic floor muscles (PFM) play an important part in the urinary continence mechanism. Changes in their structure and functionality may lead to a predisposition to pelvic floor dysfunction such as urinary incontinence (UI), which is the involuntary loss of urine. Some techniques for conservative treatment of UI are already well documented. However, new approaches have been found that require scientific proof of their effectiveness, such as vibratory stimulation (VS). Thus, we performed a systematic review of studies that investigated the use of perineal VS (PVS) for the treatment of stress UI., Materials and Methods: This study followed the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration for systematic reviews. Studies that used PVS for the treatment of female UI were eligible., Results: A total of 56 studies were found, of which ten were duplicates and were excluded. Analysis of the titles and abstracts led to the exclusion of 30 studies, leaving 16 for detailed analysis. Of these, only three were included as they fulfilled all the eligibility criteria previously established for the present study. In spite of the heterogeneity of the protocols, all the studies had the goal of assessing the effects of vibration on the PFM, and the stimulation was found to be effective in reducing urinary leakage, improving muscle strength and consequently the patients' quality of life., Conclusions: Because of the heterogeneity and the small number of studies, it is not possible to draw a conclusion as to the effectiveness of PVS for the treatment of stress UI, and further studies are needed to provide scientific support for its use.