Pudendal Nerve Conduction Study by use of St. Mark's Pudendal Electrode

Access to the pudendal nerve is exceedingly limited and measurement of its conduction velocity has proved difficult. Work at St. Mark's Hospital, London, resulted in the development of an easier method for measuring the distal motor latency in the pudendal nerve. The purpose of this study is to help diagnosis of fecal or urinary incontinence with pudendal nerve injury. We stimulated rectal mucosa using St. Mark's pudendal electrode and recording from external anal sphincter, and we got the distal latency of pudendal nerve, 2.03 ms. The mean latencies of responses from anal sphincter are 2.05 ms in men, 2.01 ms in women and 2.04 ms on the right, 2.03 ms on the left. There is no difference of latencies between the men and women, right and left. We got the greately prolonged distal latency of patients with fecal incontinence, 3.53ms.ope