Surgery for osteitis pubis.

BACKGROUND: Osteitis pubis is a rare and self-limited condition. Surgery may be necessary in 5%-10% of cases. The outcome after surgery for osteitis pubis is not known.

METHODS: To determine the success of surgical intervention for osteitis pubis, we used a computerized data registry to identify patients (10 women [mean age 40 yr]) who underwent surgery for osteitis pubis. A retrospective chart review was carried out. We also searched the literature for all cases of osteitis pubis managed surgically and identified 73 cases.

RESULTS: The 10 patients in our series had had symptoms for a mean of 4 years preoperatively. Onset of pain was insidious in 4 patients, it followed childbirth in 4 and it followed trauma in 2. Depending on the surgeon's preference, either a wedge resection of the symphysis pubis was performed or a symphysiodesis. At the latest follow-up (average 26 mo), although all patients had some improvement, only 6 of 10 patients were satisfied with the outcome. From the literature review, we identified 3 categories of patients with osteitis pubis: elite athletes, patients with postoperative or infectious osteitis pubis and the remainder, which would include the patients in our series.

CONCLUSIONS: Four types of surgical intervention are described: curettage, arthrodesis, wedge resection and wide resection. The elite athletes respond well to curettage. Patients with osteitis pubis following urologic or gynecologic procedures or have a proven infection require surgery in roughly 50% of cases. The third group has an unpredictable outcome.