The effectiveness of vibratory stimulation in anejaculatory men with spinal cord injury. Review article. 1993

H Beckerman, and J Becher, and G J Lankhorst
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Most spinal cord injury (SCI) men have fertility problems caused by anejaculation and a decreased fertility of the ejaculate. There are several methods to induce ejaculation, such as vibratory stimulation and transrectal electrostimulation. In order to investigate the current state of knowledge about the effectiveness of vibratory stimulation and to prepare a controlled clinical trial we reviewed the available literature. Ten articles met our inclusion criteria. Articles were found by various strategies, such as computer searches and screening of relevant journals. We used a structured approach to evaluate these articles. In total 428 patients had been treated with vibration. Sixty percent (257) of the patients responded to treatment, ie produced ejaculate. Because of methodological shortcomings in most studies it remains unclear whether there is a relationship between injury type, such as level and completeness of the injury, and the response rate. Semen analyses showed a large intersubject variation. From the data available, it could be concluded that the semen volume is usually normal, whereas sperm motility and morphology of spermatozoa were in most cases far from normal. Side effects of vibratory stimulation were reported in 6% of the patients. Semen could be used for various (assisted) reproductive technologies, eg artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation and microinsemination. Therefore, it is very important to know which stimulation method is most effective in treating anejaculatory SCI men. This review of the literature shows that the effectiveness of vibratory stimulation remains unclear. New, well designed clinical trials as well as basic research activities might clarify the effectiveness of vibratory stimulation and transrectal electrostimulation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010812 Physical Stimulation Act of eliciting a response from a person or organism through physical contact. Stimulation, Physical,Physical Stimulations,Stimulations, Physical
D004542 Ejaculation The emission of SEMEN to the exterior, resulting from the contraction of muscles surrounding the male internal urogenital ducts. Ejaculations
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012661 Semen The thick, yellowish-white, viscid fluid secretion of male reproductive organs discharged upon ejaculation. In addition to reproductive organ secretions, it contains SPERMATOZOA and their nutrient plasma. Seminal Plasma,Plasma, Seminal
D012735 Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological Physiological disturbances in normal sexual performance in either the male or the female. Sex Disorders,Sexual Disorders, Physiological,Sexual Dysfunctions, Physiological,Physiological Sexual Disorder,Physiological Sexual Disorders,Physiological Sexual Dysfunction,Physiological Sexual Dysfunctions,Sexual Disorder, Physiological
D013119 Spinal Cord Injuries Penetrating and non-penetrating injuries to the spinal cord resulting from traumatic external forces (e.g., WOUNDS, GUNSHOT; WHIPLASH INJURIES; etc.). Myelopathy, Traumatic,Injuries, Spinal Cord,Post-Traumatic Myelopathy,Spinal Cord Contusion,Spinal Cord Laceration,Spinal Cord Transection,Spinal Cord Trauma,Contusion, Spinal Cord,Contusions, Spinal Cord,Cord Contusion, Spinal,Cord Contusions, Spinal,Cord Injuries, Spinal,Cord Injury, Spinal,Cord Laceration, Spinal,Cord Lacerations, Spinal,Cord Transection, Spinal,Cord Transections, Spinal,Cord Trauma, Spinal,Cord Traumas, Spinal,Injury, Spinal Cord,Laceration, Spinal Cord,Lacerations, Spinal Cord,Myelopathies, Post-Traumatic,Myelopathies, Traumatic,Myelopathy, Post-Traumatic,Post Traumatic Myelopathy,Post-Traumatic Myelopathies,Spinal Cord Contusions,Spinal Cord Injury,Spinal Cord Lacerations,Spinal Cord Transections,Spinal Cord Traumas,Transection, Spinal Cord,Transections, Spinal Cord,Trauma, Spinal Cord,Traumas, Spinal Cord,Traumatic Myelopathies,Traumatic Myelopathy
D014732 Vibration A continuing periodic change in displacement with respect to a fixed reference. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Vibrations
D016032 Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Works about clinical trials that involve at least one test treatment and one control treatment, concurrent enrollment and follow-up of the test- and control-treated groups, and in which the treatments to be administered are selected by a random process, such as the use of a random-numbers table. Clinical Trials, Randomized,Controlled Clinical Trials, Randomized,Trials, Randomized Clinical

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