Effect of Sperm Motility on Human In Vitro Fertilization

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Abstract
Several sperm motility parameters in semen prepared by the swim-up technique were compared with IVF rates in 84 patients. The patients were either on clomiphene + human menopausal gonadotrophin or follicle stimulating hormone + human menopausal gonadotrophin stimulation regimens. Motility ratings were assessed both manually according to World Health Organization guidelines as well as computer-automated semen analysis (Cellsoft, Cryoresources, USA). Motility ratings of≥ 22 yielded significantly higher fertilization rates (78–82%) than ratings below 2 (20–23%) (p< 0.001) for patients on both regimens. Velocity (41, 55, 78 μm/sec) and mean amplitude of lateral head displacement (1.96, 3.29, 4.91 μm) correlated significantly with and between manual ratings of 1, 2, and 3, respectively (r = 0.83;p < 0.01). No significant differences were observed in linearity and beat/cross frequency between the manual ratings, although beat/cross frequencies tended to reduce linearly with increases in intensity of motility. The velocity of sperm motility has a significant effect on fertilization rates, and cut-off points of ≥2 or ≥50 μm/sec predict the actual potential and likely success of in vitro fertilization. These criteria on the swim-up semen should be used in the selection of patients admitted to IVF programs, and they justify the necessity of research investigations to improve motility in those patients with sluggish motility.