Does aging affect the elastic properties of the bladder and the urethra in nulliparous women: An ultrasound shear‐wave elastography study

Objective To investigate how aging and menopausal status in absence of pregnancy and childbirth affect the elasticity of the bladder and urethra. Study Design A single‐center prospective observational study including nulliparous 10 pre‐ and 12 postmenopausal women. Data collection included baseline characteristics, physical examination data, questionnaire scores, PDFI and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and pelvic floor sonographic measurements as well as elastography measurements. The shear wave elastography (SWE) of tissue was measured using Kilopascal (kPa). The elastography measurements were taken over the rhabdosphincter, the suburethra smooth muscle, and the trigonal areas. Results A total of 22 nulliparous subjects were enrolled in the study. The cohort's mean age was 43.5 years, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.8, and 86% were of Caucasian ethnicity. The postmenopausal group was older and with higher BMI (p