McRoberts Manuever
Other Known Aliases – none
Definition – forced hyperflexion of the hips with applied suprapubic pressure during vaginal delivery
Clinical Significance – this is the primary maneuver to attempt to help relieve a shoulder dystocia during vaginal deliveries. Due to the hypermobilty of sacroilliac joint during pregnancy, this allows for rotation of the pelvis and facilitates releasing the stuck shoulder. It has been shown to have a success of close to 90%.
History – Named after William McRoberts, Jr. (1914-2006), an American obstetrician who recieved his medical doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1940. He would go on to have a modest career in obstetrics culminating in Professor and Chief of Obstetrics at the University of Texas Medical School and Hermann Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX. It was here where he his reputation as a teacher flourished and where he taught his eponymous maneuver for shoulder dystocia for over 40 years. As a testament to his teaching and a gift on retirement in 1982, two of his residents published an article naming this maneuver after their teacher and mentor.
References
- Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA. Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
- Bartolucci S, Forbis P. Stedman’s Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD; LWW. 2005.
- Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012). Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software]. Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
- Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
- Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
- Gonik B, Stringer CA, Held B. An alternate maneuver for management of shoulder dystocia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1983; 145(7):882-4. [pubmed]
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