Osseous complications after transvaginal bone anchor fixation in female pelvic reconstructive surgery: report from single largest prospective series and literature review

Abstract

Objectives: To report, from our prospective database and review of published studies (including primary reported patient series and case reports for osseous complications after transvaginal bone anchor fixation in female pelvic reconstructive surgery), our results and those from previously reported patient series to determine the incidence of osteitis pubis and osteomyelitis.

Methods: A total of 440 patients from our database of cadaveric transvaginal sling (n = 127) and cadaveric prolapse repair with sling (n = 313) procedures had at least 3 months of examination follow-up and were included in this report. We found 15 primary reported patient series involving transvaginal bone anchor fixation in published studies, for a total of 788 patients. The combined patient population of 1228 was assessed for the incidence of osteitis pubis and osteomyelitis.

Results: Of our 440 patients included in this study, 2 developed osteitis pubis (0.45%), and none had osteomyelitis (0%). In the published studies we reviewed, no case of osteitis pubis and 1 case of osteomyelitis (1 of 788, 0.13%) were reported. One additional case of osteomyelitis with transvaginal bone anchor fixation was reported. The combined incidence of osteitis pubis was 2 (0.16%) of 1228, and the combined incidence of osteomyelitis was 1 (0.08%) of 1228.

Conclusions: In procedures using transvaginal bone anchor fixation in female pelvic reconstructive surgery, the combined incidence, from our experience and that reported in published studies, of osteitis pubis and osteomyelitis was 2 (0.16%) and 1 (0.08%) of 1228, respectively. The infectious osseous complication rate associated with transvaginal pubic bone anchor fixation appears to be less than that previously reported for suprapubic bone anchor placement. In our experience, when using careful surgical technique and proper prophylactic precautions, infectious osseous complications have not been encountered.