Effect of poor motility on pregnancy outcome following intracytoplasmic sperm injection in couples whose male partners have subnormal hypo-osmotic swelling test scores.

Purpose: To determine the confounding effect, if any, of poor motility of sperm that are already compromised by an abnormal hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test on pregnancy outcome following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Materials And Methods: Clinical and live-delivered pregnancy and implantation rates were retrospectively evaluated in first cycles of couples undergoing IVF-ET with ICSI where the HOS test was < 50% according to deciles of subnormal percentage motility (< 50%) and compared to those with normal motility > or = 50%.

Results: The combination of very poor motility and low HOS test scores did diminish pregnancy rates following IVF with ICSI.

Conclusions: The only part of fertilization of the oocyte that ICSI does not overcome is phase 2 of oocyte activation. Based on these data, the combination of very low percentage motility and low HOS test scores do not adversely affect pregnancy outcome following IVF with ICSI.