The effect of endometrial scratching on reproductive outcomes in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment cycles

Abstract

This study was a Randomised Controlled Trial aiming to evaluate the effect of Endometrial Scratching (ES) on fertility rate. Participants were primary infertile women undergoing IVF treatment. ES for the intervention group was done using endometrial aspiration in the luteal phase of the cycle before embryo transfer. In both groups, 2–3 8-celled embryos were transferred after endometrial preparation by Oestrogen and Progesterone. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, BMI and endometrial thickness (ET). No significant differences were found between intervention and control groups in chemical pregnancy rate (p = 0.410), clinical pregnancy (p = 0.822), the number of abortions (p = 0.282) and the implantation rate (p = 0.777). Local ES had no significant effects in improving the IVF success rate and reducing the embryo abortion rate.

Impact statement

• What is already known on this subject? Endometrial scratching (ES) is a local injury to the endometrium that was assumed to affect implantation in IVF and IUI cycles positively. However, various studies have shown conflicting results on this matter.

• What do the results of this study add? Local ES had no significant effects on improving the IVF success rate and reducing the embryo abortion rate in patients with the first IVF cycle.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Larger clinical trials can measure the usefulness of ES with higher powers. However, this study, along with other clinical trials, can help evaluate the ES effect in future meta-analyses.

Keywords:

• Endometrial scratching (ES)
• endometrial injury
• infertility
• IVF
• endometrial receptivity
• implantation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).