Urethral sphincters play an important role in urinary incontinence, a major clinical problem affecting the aging population. We elucidate the anatomy of the urethral sphincter muscles pertinent to urinary continence function using in vivo, non-invasive proton-density and diffusion tensor imaging and DTI-based fiber tracking in young adults. Muscle fiber tracking consistently revealed, perhaps for the first time, the existence of two sphincter like muscles, with one proximal near the bladder neck and the other more distal, supporting the two sphincter concept to constrict/close the urethral opening with important implications for the effect of prostatectomy on urethral closure function.
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