The biomechanical factors that impact cervical cerclage success

Dr. Megan Leftwich

George Washington University

 Premature cervical remodeling is a medical condition wherein the uterine cervix is unable to retain a pregnancy in the absence of contractions, labor, or both during the second trimester. It is a common cause of second trimester pregnancy loss. Once diagnosed, part of the treatment could be a cervical cerclage, a purse string suture designed to close the cervix and maintain the pregnancy.  Ultrasound images were used to create a generalized model of the cervix.  Physicians performed the cerclage on models with varied properties, and the sutured models were tested to failure.  Investigating the impact of tissue stiffness on cerclage integrity revealed the firm cervices were able to withstand higher forces before failure. Additionally, longer cervices were able to withstand higher forces before rupture; however, the dependence was weaker than for cervical softness. Cervices stitched with two different materials revealed Mersilene tape was able to hold a cerclage in place at significantly higher forces than monofilament sutures.

 Dr. Megan C. Leftwich is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The George Washington University.  She holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and a B.S.E. degree from Duke University.  Prior to joining GW, she was the Agnew National Security Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Lab from 2010 to 2012. Her current research interests include the fluid dynamics of rotating airfoils, high-performance jetting for aquatic locomotion, unsteady activation for undulatory propulsion, and the fluid dynamics of human birth.  Prof. Leftwich has a deep interest in diversity in technical fields and STEM education from the first year through the Ph.D. and currently serves as the Director of the Center for Women in Engineering.  Professor Leftwich is an Office of Naval Research 2017 Young Investigator Award Recipient.  Additionally, she is the winner of the 2019 Early Career Researcher Award at George Washington University, the 2018 SEAS Dean’s Faculty Recognition Award, the 2017 SEAS Outstanding Young Researcher Award, and the 2016 SEAS Outstanding Young Teacher Award.    Her work on unsteady propulsion has been profiled in over 20 popular media venues, including Wired, CNN's Great Big Story, the Smithsonian Magazine, and the New York Times.

https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/98544616724?pwd=SUY4cXUrelk1Nyt2Q1hmdnZTeTJOQT09

Meeting ID: 985 4461 6724
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