Coccygectomy for the treatment of therapy-resistant coccygodynia.
Coccygodynia (pain in the region of the coccyx) has many causes, but it may be posttraumatic beginning after a fracture or contusion. Pain is typically triggered by or occurs while sitting. Nonsurgical management, including cushions, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroid injections, can be successful in up to 85% of patients. The objective of the study was to show that coccygectomy can be a successful surgical treatment for patients who fail nonoperative treatment. This study is a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent a coccygectomy performed by one surgeon between the years 2002 and 2008. All patients were asked to complete an Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire and a visual analog pain scale. The average Oswestry disability score was 25.75%. The average visual analog score was 3.4 cm. Four patients sustained a wound breakdown. The study concluded that for patients with conservative therapy-resistant coccygodynia, operative treatment with coccygectomy is a feasible management option.
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. traub@musc.edu
Shaun
S
Traub
John
J
Glaser
Brian
B
Manino
D003050:Coccyx / Q000601:surgery*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region