title: Coccygectomy for stubborn coccydynia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the preliminary clinical outcomes of coccygectomy in patients with coccydynia after a failure of conservative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 2002 to January 2010, 31 patients with coccydynia were treated by coccygectomy in our department after conservative measures had failed to produce significant relief. A questionnaire, which included the extent of relief in the painful area, improvement in quality of life, intensity of pain in the sitting position, and pain score during daily activities, was used to evaluate the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up for 1 to 6 years (mean 3.3 years). The results were excellent in 20 patients (64.5%), good in 7 patients (22.6%), moderate in 3 patients (9.7%) and poor in 1 patient (3.2%). The excellent and good rates amounted to 87.1%. All patients except one had complete resolution of their symptoms and were subjectively highly satisfied with the outcomes of the surgery. Only 2 cases of superficial infection were observed postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coccygectomy is a feasible management option for patients with coccygodynia that has no response to conservative treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shao-wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Qing-yu
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhong-qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong-quan
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xiao-zhou
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Xiao-jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chuan-zhu
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003050:Coccyx / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography