Coccygectomy: Therapeutic Results of 12 Cases of Posttraumatic Coccygodynia

Abstract Introduction Coccygodynia is pain localized in the coccygeal region. Symptoms can be relieved after conservative treatment. In refractory cases, surgical treatment gives good clinical results. We report 12 cases of posttraumatic coccygodynia refractory to conservative treatment managed surgically. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective analysis including the records of all patients operated on in the neurosurgery departments and units of the Conakry University Hospital and the Sino-Guinean Friendship Hospital for posttraumatic coccygodynia refractory to conservative treatment over a 4-year period from January 2019 to December 2022 with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 12 months. Results Twelve cases were identified over a 4-year period with a mean age of 36 years and a male predominance (7 males/5 females). Coccygodynia was the main complaint and was present in all patients. The mean visual analog scale was 8.7 and the mean body mass index was 24.1. Sacrococcygeal computed tomography scans were performed in all patients. The indication for surgery was given after failure of conservative treatment. Three patients underwent partial resection of the coccyx and nine underwent total resection. All patients underwent postoperative sacrococcygeal radiography. Progress was favorable in 75% of patients. Morbidity included two cases of surgical site infection and zero mortalities. Conclusion Although the number of cases in this study was small, our positive results in terms of symptom improvement and satisfaction rates suggest that coccygectomy is a relatively safe and effective means of treating traumatic coccygodynia when nonsurgical methods have failed.