Application Value Analysis of Sperm Morphological Analysis Combined with Semen Routine Parameters in the Diagnosis of Male Infertility Among Athletes

Abstract

Objective: To assess the diagnostic utility of combining sperm morphological analysis with semen routine parameters in identifying male infertility among athletes, a group potentially at risk due to physiological stresses and lifestyle factors unique to their training and competition schedules.

Methods: This study involved 100 male athletes diagnosed with infertility (MI) treated at our hospital from January 2020 to August 2022. Based on their sperm characteristics, these patients were classified into asthenospermia (n=43), leukospermia (n=38), and oligospermia (n=19) groups. A control group consisted of 100 healthy male athletes who underwent routine health assessments during the same period. Semen parameters and sperm morphology were analyzed and compared between groups. Diagnostic efficacy, including sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of these combined assessments, was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results: Significant reductions in sperm survival rates, forward motile sperm percentages, and sperm concentrations were observed in the infertility groups compared to controls (P<0.05). Normal sperm morphology and sperm DNA integrity rates were also significantly lower in the infertile athletes (P<0.05). Among the infertility subgroups, variations in sperm quality parameters were noted, with some showing improvements over others. The combined diagnostic approach of sperm morphology and semen analysis demonstrated superior sensitivity (90.95%), specificity (92.10%), and accuracy (91.17%) with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.927, significantly outperforming single-method assessments (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The combined use of sperm morphological analysis and semen routine parameters offers significant diagnostic value in detecting male infertility among athletes. This approach provides a comprehensive tool for clinical evaluation and is recommended for routine use in sports medicine to address reproductive health concerns in this population.