Systematic review and meta-analysis of anal motor and rectal sensory dysfunction in male and female patients undergoing anorectal manometry for symptoms of faecal incontinence.

The number of appropriately controlled studies of anorectal manometry is small with fewer still at low risk of bias. Results were subject to gender differences, wide confidence intervals and high heterogeneity indicating the need for international collective effort to harmonize practice and reporting to improve certainty of diagnosis.