Evaluation of sperm morphology of electroejaculates of spinal cord-injured men by strict criteria *

Objective To compare sperm morphology of electrostimulated ejaculates of spinal cord-injured (SCI) men with that of manual ejaculates of an able-bodied population. Design Retrospective study. Patients Spinal cord-injured men (n=21) participating in a reproductive rehabilitation program and able-bodied men (n=163) attending a male fertility clinic. Setting Male fertility clinic of a university urology practice. Main Outcome Measures Morphological characteristics of sperm evaluated by strict criteria. Results Electroejaculates of SCI men had significantly higher percentages of small sperm heads, vacuolated sperm heads, and sperm with tail defects than found in manual ejaculates of able-bodied men. Cellular elements of nongerminal origin (white blood cells, red blood cells, epithelial cells) were also more likely to be present in electroejaculates. Conclusion When evaluated by strict criteria, electroejaculates exhibit specific defects in sperm morphological profile. A pervasive pattern of teratozoospermia exists that may reflect underlying defects contributing to decreased fertility in SCI men.