Applications of Pelvic Floor Modeling and Simulation

Abstract

This chapter introduces applications of pelvic floor modeling, significant advancements that have been made in the field, and the caveats that still need to be applied before implementing the models into clinical situations. Development of anatomically accurate 3-D pelvic floor models has added to our knowledge of normal and abnormal geometry of the muscles and is proving useful for educational purposes. Incorporating functionality into the models requires integration of anatomical structural information and constitutive modeling inputs, to investigate the mechanics of the pelvic floor, and this remains challenging. Nonetheless, with advancing technology and the improved ability to collect quantitative experimental data, these models are likely to be well informed and functional within the next decade.