STRETCH Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.
Virginia Tech.
J Biomech Eng. 2024 Jun 1;146(6). doi: 10.1115/1.4063101.
Often called "the change of life," menopause affects every part of a woman's body. As the sex hormones decrease, the reproductive organs experience the most remarkable changes, with the vagina becoming thinner, drier, and less elastic. Despite the important implications of these changes in genitourinary conditions, there are only a few experimental studies that focus on quantifying the effect of menopause on the mechanical properties of the vagina. These studies are mostly conducted using uniaxial tests on strips of vaginal tissues isolated from rats, rabbits, and sheep and, in only a few cases, from humans. The purpose of this article is to present a systematic review of experimental protocols, methods, and results that are currently published on how menopause alters the mechanical behavior of the vagina. This review will enable new investigators in the biomechanics field to identify important gaps and frame research questions that inform the design of new treatment options for menopausal symptoms.
通常被称为“生命的变化”，更年期影响女性身体的每一个部位。随着性激素的减少，生殖器官经历了最显著的变化，阴道变得更薄、更干燥、弹性更小。尽管这些泌尿生殖条件的变化具有重要意义，但只有少数实验研究专注于量化更年期对阴道机械性能的影响。这些研究大多使用从大鼠、兔子和绵羊中分离出的阴道组织条进行单轴测试，并且仅在少数情况下从人类中进行。本文的目的是系统地回顾目前关于更年期如何改变阴道机械行为的实验方案、方法和结果，这将使生物力学领域的新研究人员能够发现重要的差距，并提出研究问题，为治疗更年期症状提供新的选择。
