The Pathophysiology of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Objective: To summarize and review the current knowledge of the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse. Methods: A review of the English language literature regarding the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse. Results: A summary and discussion of the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse is presented. Conclusions: Pelvic organ prolapse is a complex disease process with multifactorial etiology that affects thousands of women annually worldwide. A historical background of the understanding of prolapse, a review of normal pelvic support anatomy and physiology, and a discussion of the current knowledge of its pathophysiology is presented