Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (16)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van der Westerlaken, L.A.J.
Right arrow Articles by Naaktgeboren, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van der Westerlaken, L.A.J.
Right arrow Articles by Naaktgeboren, N.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 10, 2565-2569, October 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: position of the polar body affects pregnancy rate

L.A.J. Van der Westerlaken1,3, F.M. Helmerhorst1, J. Hermans2 and N. Naaktgeboren1

1 Departments of Reproductive Medicine, 2 Medical Statistics, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

A prospective study on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was performed to evaluate the effect of the position of the polar body relative to the opening of the injection needle during sperm injection, and of the person who performs the injections on fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy rates. This study included 173 couples undergoing 313 ICSI cycles from September 1995 to December 1997. All injections were performed by two persons. For each injected oocyte the person who performed the injection was recorded as well as the position of the polar body during injection (6 o'clock: animal pole towards the opening of the needle; 12 o'clock: animal pole away from the opening of the needle). Of 2630 oocytes retrieved, 2232 were injected. Significantly more oocytes developed two pronuclei after injection with the polar body at 6 o'clock versus 12 o'clock (P = 0.01; 51 versus 45% respectively) and after injection by person 1 versus person 2 (P = 0.02; 50 and 45% respectively). Higher pregnancy rate (P = 0.046) was found after transfer of embryos from oocytes injected with the polar body at 6 o'clock (36%) versus 12 o'clock (18%). This was the result of a significant interaction (P = 0.03) between the position of the polar body and the person performing the injections. Given the higher fertilization rate in the 6 o'clock group, it is recommended that oocytes be injected with the polar body at 6 o'clock. The higher pregnancy rate as a result of polar body position and the interaction between polar body position and the operator suggest variations in injection technique.

Key words: cleavage/person performing ICSI/polar body/pregnancy rate/sperm injection

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
M.-L. Windt, T.F. Kruger, K. Coetzee, and C.J. Lombard
Comparative analysis of pregnancy rates after the transfer of early dividing embryos versus slower dividing embryos
Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2004; 19(5): 1155 - 1162.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
M. Wilding, B. Dale, M. Marino, L. di Matteo, C. Alviggi, M. L. Pisaturo, L. Lombardi, and G. De Placido
Mitochondrial aggregation patterns and activity in human oocytes and preimplantation embryos
Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2001; 16(5): 909 - 917.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
J. E. Miller and T. T. Smith
The effect of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and semen parameters on blastocyst development in vitro
Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2001; 16(5): 918 - 924.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
J. C.M. Dumoulin, E. Coonen, M. Bras, J.M. Bergers-Janssen, R. C.M. Ignoul-Vanvuchelen, L. C.P. van Wissen, J. P.M. Geraedts, and J. L.H. Evers
Embryo development and chromosomal anomalies after ICSI: effect of the injection procedure
Hum. Reprod., February 1, 2001; 16(2): 306 - 312.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
N.R. Stoddart and S.D. Fleming
Orientation of the first polar body of the oocyte at 6 or 12 o'clock during ICSI does not affect clinical outcome
Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2000; 15(7): 1580 - 1585.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
Th. Hardarson, K. Lundin, and L. Hamberger
The position of the metaphase II spindle cannot be predicted by the location of the first polar body in the human oocyte
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2000; 15(6): 1372 - 1376.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.