The woman pelvic system involves multiple organs, muscles, ligaments, and fasciae where different pathologies may occur. Here we are most interested in abnormal mobility, often caused by complex and not fully understood mechanisms. Computer simulation and modeling using the finite element (FE) method are the tools helping to better understand the pathological mobility, but of course patient-specific models are required to make contribution to patient care. These models require a good representation of the pelvic system geometry, information on the material properties, boundary conditions and loading. In this contribution we focus on the relative influence of the inaccuracies in geometry description and of uncertainty of patient-specific material properties of soft connective tissues. We conducted a comparative study using several constitutive behavior laws and variations in geometry description resulting from the imprecision of clinical imaging and image analysis. We find that geometry seems to have the dominant effect on the pelvic organ mobility simulation results. Provided that proper finite deformation non-linear FE solution procedures are used, the influence of the functional form of the constitutive law might be for practical purposes negligible. These last findings confirm similar results from the fields of modeling neurosurgery and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

A 3D digital model enabled simulations of anatomic structures underlying cystocele to better understand cystocele pathophysiology. The model could be used to predict cystocele surgery results and personalising technique by preoperative simulation.

Numerical simulation of pelvic system could lead to a better understanding of common pathology through objective and reliable analyses of pelvic mobility according to mechanical principles. In clinical context, patient‐specific simulation has the potential for a proper patient‐personalised cure. For this purpose, a simulable 3D geometrical model, well suited to patient anatomy, is required. However, the geometric modelling of pelvic system from medical images (MRI) is a complex operator‐dependent and time‐consuming process, not adapted to patient‐specific applications. This paper is addressing this challenging computational problem. The objective is to develop a technique, providing a smooth, consistent, and readily usable 3D geometrical model, seamlessly from image to simulation. In this paper, we use a generic topologically‐simplified B‐Spline model to represent pelvic organs. The presented paper develops a Virtual Image Correlation method to find the best correlation between the geometry and the image. The final reconstructed geometrical model is to be compatible with meshing and finite element simulation. Then, a variety of tests are performed to prove the concept, through both prototypical and pelvic models. Finally, since the pelvic system is complex, including structures hardly identifiable in MRI, some feasible solutions to introduce more complex pelvic models are also discussed.