The mechanical role of the cervix in pregnancy

摘要: Appropriate mechanical function of the uterine cervix is critical for maintaining a pregnancy to term so that fetus can develop fully. At end pregnancy, however, must allow delivery, which requires it markedly soften, shorten and dilate. There are multiple pathways spontaneous preterm birth, leading global cause death in children less than 5 years old, but all culminate premature cervical change, because last step final common pathway delivery. The mechanisms underlying change poorly understood, therefore current clinical protocols assess birth risk limited surrogate markers function, such as sonographically measured length. This what motivates us study cervix, we propose investigating parallel with quantitative engineering evaluation its structural function. We aspire translational language, well generate rigorous integrated clinical-engineering framework assessing at cellular organ level. In this review, embark on challenge by describing landscape clinical, biochemical, concepts associated during pregnancy. Our goal use platform inspire novel approaches delineate normal abnormal