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EASE: The Materna Prep Pivotal Study

A Randomized, Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Materna Prep Device to Pre-stretch the Vaginal Canal and Pelvic Floor Tissues in Preparation for Vaginal Delivery

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03973281
Enrollment
420
Registered
2019-06-04
Start date
2019-12-11
Completion date
2026-07-30
Last updated
2026-08-31

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Vaginal Delivery

Keywords

Pelvic Floor Health, levator ani muscle injury, Pelvic Muscle Injury, Vaginal Delivery, Complications, Childbirth, prevention

Brief summary

This study is designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Materna Prep Device in reducing pelvic muscle injuries during vaginal delivery. Subjects are randomized to Materna Prep Device or Standard of Care without use of the Materna Prep Device Intervention with the Materna Prep Device is expected to be a one-time use of approximately 30-90 minutes during the 1st stage of labor. Subject participation in the study is targeted to be 12 months from the time of the use of the device during delivery.

Detailed description

Vaginal delivery is a major risk factor for pelvic floor dysfunction. Clinical aspects of pelvic floor dysfunction include pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction, and fecal and urinary incontinence. Trauma to the pelvic structures occurs as the fetal head passes through the vaginal canal, especially with acute distension at the time of crowning - the exiting of the fetal head. The Materna Prep Device is a single-use, semi-automated dilator used during the first phase of labor in order to prepare the vaginal canal for vaginal delivery. By slowly pre-stretching the vagina and surrounding pelvic tissues during labor, the device is essentially dictating the strain rate of the tissue during labor. In previous feasibility studies, the elastic recovery of the tissue has been shown to be on the order of several hours, allowing the benefits of pre-stretching the vagina and surrounding pelvic tissues to last throughout labor. The device is intended to be removed prior to the initiation of the second stage of labor, for delivery to occur unobstructed. The target patient population for this study is nulliparous women entering the first phase of labor and scheduled for vaginal delivery with an epidural.

Interventions

Materna Prep Device

OTHERStandard of Care (SOC)

Standard of Care (SOC)

Sponsors

Materna Medical
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY
University of Michigan
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

The physician reading all ultrasound images will be blinded to randomization

Intervention model description

Randomized Control Study

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Criteria for inclusion 1. Subject is scheduled for vaginal birth. 2. Subject is gestating a single fetus. 3. Subject is nulliparous, or had a previous pregnancy terminated within 24 weeks gestation. 4. Subject is able and willing to comply with the protocol required follow-up visits. 5. Subject is able and willing to provide written informed consent prior to enrollment. 6. In the opinion of the Investigator, the subject has sufficient mental capacity to understand the informed consent form (ICF), comply with the protocol requirements, and provide clinically relevant and reliable feedback regarding their experience with the device. 7. Subject receives epidural anesthesia during labor prior to enrollment. 8. Subject is 18 years of age or older at time of consent.

Exclusion criteria

Criteria for exclusion 1. Subject has high likelihood of less than 1 hour of potential device dilation time after she arrives at the hospital. 2. Subject is planning or requires a Caesarean-section prior to randomization. 3. Subject begins labor with less than 36 weeks gestation. 4. Subject has a neurological disorder that could cause pelvic floor dysfunction, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. 5. Subject has a collagen-associated disorder that affects tissue elasticity, such as scleroderma or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 6. Subject has a localized (genital tract) or systemic infection. 7. Subject has a medical history which could lead to pelvic floor dysfunction, such as prior pelvic fractures, pelvic soft tissue injuries, or vaginal surgery. 8. Subject has any general health condition or systemic disease that may represent, in the opinion of the Investigator, a potential increased risk associated with device use or pregnancy. 9. Subject has placenta previa or vasa previa. 10. Subject has known significant chromosomal or structural fetal anomalies. 11. Subject has a category 2 and/or 3 fetal tracing that is unresolved. 12. Subject is observed to have friable, denuded, or markedly edematous vaginal tissue during the course of labor.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The occurrence of pelvic muscle injury, defined as complete detachment of the levator ani muscle diagnosed via ultrasound imaging3-month Follow-upUse transperineal ultrasound to identify levator ani muscle detachment

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The occurrence of pelvic muscle injury, defined as complete or partial detachment of the levator ani muscle diagnosed via ultrasound imaging3-Month Follow-upUse transperineal ultrasound to identify levator ani muscle detachments
Length of 2nd Stage LaborIntra-ProcedureCompare the length of the second stage of labor, defined as the time from the cervix being dilated to 10 cm to the complete delivery of the baby between study groups.
Levator Hiatal Area3-month and 12-month Follow-upCompare the levator hiatal area (cm2 - measurement between pelvic muscle and pelvic bone)
Perineal LacerationsIntra-ProcedureCompare the rate of perineal lacerations determined by visual insepction post-delivery between study groups
Obstetric anal sphincter injury - OASIIntra-ProcedureCompare the rate of tearing of the muscles of the anal sphincter between study groups.
C-SectionsIntra-ProcedureCompare the rate of C-Section due to arrest of labot in the second stage
Infant APGAR scoresIntra-ProcedureCompare infant APGAR scores between study groups. A score of 7-10 after 5 minutes is reassuring, a score of 4-6 after minutes is moderately abnormal and a score of 0-3 is concerning.
Qualitative pelvic health feedback3-Month and 12-month Follow-upCompare qualitative pelvic health feedback assessed by PFIQ-7 (utilizing 4-point scale representing "Not at all" to "quite a bit") questionnaires from subjects between study groups.
Qualitative pain3-Month and12-month Follow-upCompare qualitative pain assessed by VAS (0-10, with 0 being No pain and 10 being severe pain) from subjects between study groups
User SatifactionIntra-ProcedureSatisfaction assessed by a clinician satisfaction questionnaire after device use.
Operative DeliveryIntra-ProcedureCompare the rate of instrument use in vaginal deliveries between study gorups
Types of Perineal LacerationsIntra-ProcedureCompare rate of the TYPES of perineal lacerations between study groups.
Reasons for C-SectionsIntra-ProcedureCompare incidence of the REASONS for C-Sections between study groups
First Push to DeliveryIntra-ProcedureCompare the mean time form first push to delivery between study groups.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 1, 2026