Specific knowledge of urinary incontinence (UI) and its interrelation with physical and cognitive health is essential to working towards prevention of UI and to improving quality of treatment and care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between UI and the activities of daily living (ADL) hierarchy scale, the cognitive performance scale (CPS) and comorbid conditions. The cross-sectional retrospective analysis of 357 nursing homes in Switzerland was based on data of the Minimum Data Set of the Resident Assessment Instrument 2.0 (RAI-MDS). The analysis examined the effect of ADL hierarchy scale, CPS, joint motion and comorbidities on UI. Women ≥65 years were included (n = 44’811; January 2005 to September 2014) at the time of admission to a nursing home. Statistical analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of UI was 54.7%, the mean ADL hierarchy scale (± SD) 2.42 ± 3.26 (range = 0–6), the mean CPS 1.95 ± 1.67 (range = 0–6). There was a gradual increase in the odds ratio (OR) for UI depending on the ADL hierarchy scale, from the hierarchy scales of “supervised” to “total dependence” of 1.43 – 30.25. For CPS, the OR for UI from “borderline intact” to “very severe impairment” was 1.35 – 5.99. Considering the interaction between ADL and CPS, all ADL hierarchies remained significantly associated with UI, however for CPS this was the case only in the lower hierarchies. Of the 11 examined comorbid conditions, only diabetes mellitus (OR 1.19), dementia (OR 1.01) and arthrosis/arthritis (OR 1.53) were significantly associated with UI. The study indicated that impairment in ADL performance is strongly associated with UI, more than CPS performance and comorbidities. Physical more than cognitive training in order to improve or at least stabilize ADL performance could be a way to prevent or reduce the process of developing UI.

Oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) and cryopreservation at the time of routine ovarian tissue freezing may be offered to cancer patients as an additional option for fertility preservation. This study aimed to investigate the developmental capacity of oocytes isolated from unstimulated ovaries.

Little is known about the mechanical properties of pelvic floor structures and their role in the course and treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We hypothesize that in vivo mechanical properties of the vaginal wall are related to the appearance of POP and pre-and post-operative states. We used a suction device for intravaginal application, the aspiration device, to evaluate two in vivo mechanical parameters of the anterior vaginal wall, the load dependent tissue displacement and the initial displacement, by image analysis in pre- and post-menopausal women with (POP) and without (control) cystocele (POP: pre-menopausal: N = 6, post-menopausal: N = 19, control: pre-menopausal: N = 17, post-menopausal: N = 6). Mechanical parameters in women with and without cystocele and pre- and post-operative parameters were compared. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two mechanical parameters in pre- and post-operative states (P = 0.04, P = 0.03), but not between the parameters for women with and without cystocele (P = 0.92, P = 0.75). The mechanical behavior of pelvic floor structures is influenced by factors such as POP, age or estrogenization that are apparent at different length scales, which cannot be separated by the aspiration based biomechanical measurements. When comparing pre- and post-operative states of the same patient, a firmer tissue response was observed after intervention.

Der Beckenboden als unterer Abschluss des Bauchraumes muss, bedingt durch den aufrechten Gang, zeitlebens dem Abdominaldruck entgegenwirken, gleichzeitig aber auch den physiologischen Funktionen Miktion, Defäkation und – während der reproduktiven Lebensphase – der Reproduktion gerecht werden. Doch während Schwangerschaft und Geburt den Beckenboden akut schädigen, führen chronische Belastungen wie chronischer Husten resp. chronische Lungenerkrankungen, Adipositas und chronische Obstipation ebenfalls zur Überbeanspruchung des Beckenbodens. Das Alter und histomorphologische Veränderungen sowie möglicherweise auch der Östrogenmangel beeinflussen den Beckenboden negativ.