Objective: To validate the digital testing of pelvic floor muscles in men by evaluating its applicability and the reproducibility of test-retest.
Design: Prospective survey on volunteer sample. Blinded between investigators.
Setting: University study group with experienced physiotherapists working in a university hospital.
Participants: 39 young healthy male volunteers.
Intervention: Digital testing of the bulbocavernous muscles, the sphincter ani externus, the puborectal muscles.
Outcome measures: Each muscle or muscle group was allocated a tripartite valuation score corresponding with muscle strength, endurance, and exhaustion. The muscle testing was repeated by the same investigator with short (10 seconds), medium (2 hours), and long (> 4 hours) intervals. In 9 patients, blinded testing was performed by two independent investigators separately. The results from the different evaluations were statistically compared.
Results: Digital testing proved easy to perform and was well tolerated in all patients. Test-retest showed reproducible results with short and long intervals, except for the parameter exhaustion of external anal sphincter and puborectalis muscle as determined with an interval of 2 hours. Between investigators no difference was found between scores except for strength of the bulbocavernous muscle.
Conclusion: Digital testing of the pelvic floor muscles, when done by an experienced investigator and with full cooperation of the patient, is reliable and useful for clinical practice in male patients. Intracorporal muscle testing is more reliable than evaluation of superficial muscles.