Evaluation of male sexual function after pelvic trauma by the international index of erectile function

Objectives. To assess the multifaceted male sexual function after pelvic ri ng fracture. Methods. A cross-sectional study of male sexual function after pelvic ring fractures was conducted, using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). The department of traumatology database was scanned (June 1996 to April 1999) for 30 to 70-year-old male patients with pelvic fracture. Seven ty-six consecutive, literate patients were then contacted by mail. IIEF dom ain scores were calculated for all responders. Cappelleri's method for iden tification and grading of erectile dysfunction was applied for patients sex ually active within the past 4 weeks. Student's t test was used to compare the domain scorings of patients with those of the control population used f or the IIEF psychometric validation. Relationships between IIEF results and patient characteristics were sought by Spearman's rank correlation coeffic ient for quantitative variables and Student's t test for classes. Results. Forty-six patients answered (60.1% response rate). Thirty-seven pa tients had experienced sexual intercourse in the past 4 weeks during which 11 patients (29.7%) had exhibited various degrees of impaired erection. As a whole, compared with the published controls a significant decrease in ove rall satisfaction (P <0.05) was demonstrated. Pubic diastasis was further r elated to impaired erectile function and overall satisfaction; we Suggest t hat cavernosal nerves might be damaged at the time of diastasis. Conclusions. This study evidenced the impairment of sexual overall satisfac tion after pelvic trauma and the specific decrease in erectile function and erection firmness and confidence associated with pubic diastasis. The IIEF questionnaire might be considered at the time of rehabilitation to identif y those patients that could benefit from supportive treatments. UROLOGY 55: 842-846, 2000. (C) 2000, Elsevier Science Inc.