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Pelvic Floor EMG: Principles, Techniques, and Applications

  • Chapter
Childbirth-Related Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Abstract

The external anal sphincter (EAS) and the puborectalis are the most important muscles providing fecal continence. Their innervation can be observed with intra-anal probes (no needles). Knowledge of the innervation pattern of the EAS allows proper planning of episiotomy and reduction of EAS denervation cases with likely reduction of subsequent incontinence.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Prof Taian Vieira, and to the partners of Project TASI [4, 5] for contributing material and data. The clinical advice and revision by Dr D. Riva are greatly appreciated. This chapter is extensively based on material published in Chap. 14 “Applications in proctology and obstetrics” of the book “Surface electromyography: physiology, engineering and applications” R. Merletti and D Farina editors, J Wiley and IEEE press 2015 and on material published in the book “Atlas of muscle innervation zones: understanding surface electromyography and its applications” by M. Barbero, R. Merletti and A. Rainoldi, published by Springer Verlag (2012). The author is grateful to Springer Verlag, John Wiley and IEEE Press for permission to reproduce material from these books. Project TASI as well as the preparation of this chapter were financially supported by Compagnia di San Paolo, Torino, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Politecnico di Torino, Torin, Italy

    Roberto Merletti

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  1. Roberto Merletti
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Correspondence to Roberto Merletti .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology, "S. Pio X" Clinic, Milan, Italy

    Diego Riva

  2. Urogynecology, "Città di Brescia" Clinic Institute, Brescia, Italy

    Gianfranco Minini

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Merletti, R. (2016). Pelvic Floor EMG: Principles, Techniques, and Applications. In: Riva, D., Minini, G. (eds) Childbirth-Related Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18197-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18197-4_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-18196-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-18197-4

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