To analyze the sonographic changes of maternal pelvic function after forceps assisted delivery by pelvic floor ultrasound.

One hundred and fifty puerperae who underwent routine examinations at 42-60 days postpartum were selected at Material and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province from April 2019 to December 2019, including 75 undergoing forceps assissted delivery and 75 undergoing natural vaginal delivery. One hundred undelivered women were selected at Material and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province from April 2019 to December 2019 as a control group. All the subjects underwent three-dimensional ultrasound examination via perineal pelvic floor. The position of the bladder neck, posterior bladder angle, inclination angle of the urethra, and the area of the levator hiatus were measured at rest. During maximum Valsalva movement, the movement of the bladder neck, rotation angle of the urethra, position of the lowest point of the bladder (neck or posterior wall of the bladder), infundification of internal urethral orifice, posterior angle of the bladder, and area of the levator hiatus were measured. Independent sample t test, analysis of variance, and χ² test were used to compare the differences of each measurement index at the resting state and maximum Valsalva action between groups.

In the resting state, the distance from the bladder neck to the reference line decreased successively in the control group, the natural vaginal delivery group, and the forceps assisted delivery group, while the area of the levator hiatus increased successively in the control group, the natural vaginal delivery group, and the forceps assisted delivery group, with statistically significant differences in pairwise comparisons (P＜0.05 for all). At maximum Valsalva movement, bladder neck movement, urethral rotation angle, and anal levator hiatus area decreased successively in the forceps assisted delivery group, the natural vaginal delivery group, and the control group, and pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant differences (P＜0.05 for all).

Forceps assisted delivery may lead to pelvic floor function impairment in women. Pelvic floor three-dimensional ultrasound can evaluate the changes of pelvic floor structure and function in these women to provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.