A new understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of colonic motility?

Background: In recent years, high-resolution manometry has been used in an attempt to gain a greater insight into the physiology/pathophysiology of colonic contractile activity in healthy adults and patients with colonic motility disorders. New colonic motor patterns have been identified and characterized, however, the clinical significance of these findings remains undetermined.

Purpose: This review will assess the current literature on colonic high-resolution manometry and determine if this procedure has advanced our understanding of colonic motility. The limitations, future directions, and the potential of this technique to assess the effects of treatment upon colonic motor patterns will also be discussed.