International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

During vaginal delivery women suffer with several kinds of injuries which may negatively influence their quality of life. Different techniques are used for perineal protection during the second stage of the delivery. A method called manual perineal protection (MPP) is used to decrease the risk of severe perineal trauma. In order to quantify this method a special measuring glove was designed and forces generated by the obstetricians during real deliveries were measured. Measured forces were then used in computer simulation of the MPP method. The forces were applied on a previously developed FEM model of the pelvic floor during simulation of the vaginal delivery. The stress distribution in the perineal area was monitored. Reactions of perineal tissues were evaluated. The simulations of childbirth with and without MPP were compared

During childbirth, a technique called manual perineal protection (MPP) is often used to prevent injuries of relevant tissues. The obstetrician uses his (or her) hand to apply certain forces at the perineum in order to decrease its excessive loading during child delivery. Amount of applied forces as well as the correct posture of the obstetrician during the MPP technique are based so far on the experiences and approach of the obstetrician himself (or herself). In order to assess the role of obstetrician and in order to optimize the MPP technique, mathematical models may be of use. This work presents a combination of both experimental measurement and mathematical modeling. In the experimental part, a unique device is developed to measure forces applied by obstetrician during real child delivery. In the modeling part, the obstetrician is represented with an active musculoskeletal human body model in an AnyBody Modeling System software. Providing forces and muscle activities of the model may lead to the assessment and optimization of the MPP technique.