Biomechanical properties of the vaginal wall: effect of pregnancy, elastic fiber deficiency, and pelvic organ prolapse

Pregnancy confers remarkable changes in the vaginal wall that include increased distensibility and decreased stiffness and maximal stress. Elastinopathy alone is insufficient to cause significant changes in these properties, but prolapse confers additional alterations in distensibility and stiffness that are similar to those changes that have been observed in pregnancy. These changes may contribute to the poor durability of many restorative surgical procedures for prolapse.