Fig. 3

Results of loading experiments (total displacement, maximum von Mises strain, maximum von Mises stress) for the three geometries. In each panel, the horizontal axis represents the shape of the pelvic floor models, expressed as the natural logarithm (log) of the ratio AP/ML to guarantee that the same mediolaterally and anteroposteriorly oval shapes are equally distant from circularity, i.e. log(AP/ML)=-log(ML/AP). Negative values correspond to mediolaterally elongated shapes; positive values to anteroposteriorly elongated shapes (depicted by the grey ellipses below). The value log(AP/ML)=0 corresponds to a circular pelvic floor with AP=ML. The blue marks represent the results for an applied pressure of 4 kPa, and the red marks the results for pressure and gravity applied together. In the anatomical model, most of the deformation occurred in two separate centres, corresponding to the anterior and posterior pelvic floor compartments, for which the results are shown separately here (blue/red for the anterior compartment; light blue/light red for the posterior compartment)