Treatment of infertility in 31 men with spinal cord injury.

INTRODUCTION

The majority of men with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are infertile due to ejaculatory dysfunction and poor semen quality. The goal of this retrospective study is to present the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in a group of couples with SCI male partners.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A review was conducted of the records of 31 couples with SCI male partners who were treated at the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, at PROCREA Cliniques or at a hospital center. A semen sample was obtained either by manual stimulation, penile vibratory stimulation, electroejaculation or testicular sperm extraction. ART technique was selected according to the sperm parameters.

RESULTS

The mean age of the men was 29 years (23-48) and of their female partners, 29 years (25-41). The average sperm count was 110.4 M/mL ± 16.2 M/mL and the average sperm motility rate was 12.3% ± 16.5%. Among the 10 couples treated with intravaginal insemination, 9 pregnancies occurred among 7 couples. No pregnancies resulted from intrauterine insemination (2 cases). Among the 18 couples treated with in vitro fertilization, 12 pregnancies were reported among 10 couples. The pregnancy rate/cycle was 43%. Following these ART techniques, the pregnancy rate reached 55%. Three pregnancies occurred from the use of donor sperm in 7 couples. Overall, 20 men with a SCI (64% of the group) became fathers to at least one child.

CONCLUSIONS

Fertility treatments are effective for couples with SCI male partners and secondary infertility.