Background: Accurate measurement of anal sphincter function is potentially of value in defining treatment of common pelvic floor disorders. The aim of this study was to establish repeatability and validate high-resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM) by comparison to conventional manometry (CM). Arising from this work would be definitive normal range data.
Methods: Eighty healthy volunteers (40 female) underwent a test-retest repeatability study. A 16-channel water-perfused HRAM catheter was compared to an 8-channel conventional catheter using a station pull-through technique.
Key results: High-resolution anorectal manometry had similar precision to conventional manometry when measuring resting pressure (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.73 vs 0.68, HRAM vs CM) and squeeze increment (ICC 0.90 vs 0.94, HRAM vs CM). HRAM measured resting pressures 10% lower than CM and squeeze pressure 27% higher than CM.
Conclusions and inferences: High-resolution anorectal manometry is a valid technique with comparable precision to CM. HRAM measurements differ considerably to CM, and a new set of normal values must be used.
Keywords: anorectal manometry; fecal incontinence; pelvic floor dysfunction; test validation.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.