Prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery via uterocervical angleand posterior cervical angle measured by transvaginal ultrasonography in low risk population: A prospective cohort study

Uterocervical angle has been studied in several studies in literature and for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth and is still a debatable topic. We have planned this prospective study as the studies in the literature have conflicting results and have not used correlations with other parameteres. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical utility of uterocervical angle and posterior cervical angle for the prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery. For these purposes, we have measured the uterocervical angle and posterior cervical angle of 48 patients selected from a low risk population and evaluated these measurements with the cervical length. Measurements have been performed according to the literature. Afterwards, statistical analyses were carried out for comparision of patients with and without spontaneous birth before 34th, 37th and 40th gestational weeks. Patients who gave birth iatrogenically before these weeks were not included in the statistical analyzes performed in the relevant weeks. Due to this fact, 46, 44 and 23 were included in each analysis. According to performed statistical analyses, uterocervical angle, posterior cervical angle and cervical length did not differ between patients with or without spontaneous delivery (p>0.05). As a result of these findings, we have concluded that there is still need for more prospective studies for reliability of uterocervical angle and posterior cervical angle in prediction of spontaeous preterm delivery.