Biofeedback pelvic floor muscle training and posterior tibial nerve electrostimulation for treatment of faecal incontinence: monotherapy versus combined therapy: a prospective randomized trial

Elsawy, Mervat Sheta; Saba, Emmanuel Kamal Aziz

doi:10.1186/s42269-022-00778-0

Bulletin of the National Research Centre

Table 2 Comparison between the initial and follow-up assessments of the three groups and between the three groups in each phase regarding outcome measures

From: Biofeedback pelvic floor muscle training and posterior tibial nerve electrostimulation for treatment of faecal incontinence: monotherapy versus combined therapy: a prospective randomized trial

Outcome measures	BF Group (n = 20 patients) mean ± SD	PTNS Group (n = 20 patients) mean ± SD	Combined Group (n = 20 patients) mean ± SD	Test of significance	P
Primary outcome measure
Wexner Faecal Continence scale
Initial assessment	10.80 ± 1.962	10.00 ± 1.71	10.00 ± 1.52	K = 2.201	0.333
Follow-up assessment	6.80 ± 2.83	7.85 ± 2.62	5.15 ± 1.72	K = 10.572	0.005*
Test of significance	Z = − 3.933	Z = − 3.658	Z = − 3.980
P^†	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*
P^‡	P₁ = 0.196	P₂ = 0.001*	P₃ = 0.065
Secondary outcome measures
Maximal squeezing anal pressure (hPa)
Initial assessment	58.95 ± 16.55	60.55 ± 17.36	56.90 ± 20.40	K = 0.368	0.832
Follow-up assessment	78.75 ± 26.17	64.40 ± 16.78	80.75 ± 25.62	K = 4.748	0.093
Test of significance	Z = − 3.921	Z = − 3.931	Z = − 3.922
P^†	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*
P^‡	P₁ = 0.088	P₂ = 0.046*	P₃ = 0.645
Maximal voluntary anal contraction time (seconds)
Initial assessment	4.20 ± 1.79	4.30 ± 1.94	4.45 ± 1.98	K = 0.133	0.936
Follow-up assessment	6.50 ± 2.50	5.65 ± 2.20	7.65 ± 2.32	K = 6.963	0.031*
Test of significance	Z = − 3.872	Z = − 3.834	Z = − 3.958
P^†	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*
P^‡	P₁ = 0.289	P₂ = 0.006*	P₃ = 0.183
Patient global assessment of effect of FI on quality of life
Initial assessment	6.45 ± 1.70	6.60 ± 1.75	6.50 ± 1.46	K = 0.080	0.961
Follow-up assessment	3.90 ± 2.14	5.45 ± 2.28	3.10 ± 1.33	K = 11.602	0.003*
Test of significance	Z = − 3.949	Z = − 2.842	Z = − 4.018
P^†	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*	≤ 0.0001*
P^‡	P₁ = 0.027*	P₂ ≤ 0.0001*	P₃ = 0.278

hPa hectopascal (it is the unit of pressure and it is equal to 100 Pascals); FI faecal incontinence; BF biofeedback pelvic floor muscle training; PTNS transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve electrostimulation; n number of patients; SD standard deviation; Z value of Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test used for comparing between the initial assessment and follow-up assessment in each group; P₁ P value for test of significance for comparing between BF group and PTNS group regarding the follow-up assessment; P₂ P value for test of significance for comparing between PTNS group and combined group regarding the follow-up assessment; P₃ P value for test of significance for comparing between BF group and combined group regarding the follow-up assessment; K value of Kruskal–Wallis test used for comparing between the three treatment groups
^*Significant P < 0.05
^†P value of the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test
^‡P value for the statistical test used for comparing the outcome measures in the follow-up assessment between different two groups of the three groups

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