Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Human Egg Maturity Assessment and Its Clinical Application
Published on: August 19, 2019
Visualization and examination of the meiotic spindle in human oocytes with polscope
Janos Konc1, Katalin Kanyó, Sandor Cseh
1Infertility and IVF Center of Buda, Saint János Hospital, Budapest, Hungary.
Purpose:
The effect of detectability/location of meiotic spindle to fertilization of human MII oocytes and outcome of clinical IVF/ICSI-ET cycles was studied.
Methods:
The location of spindle relative to polar body positioned to 6 o'clock was detected with polscope prior to ICSI in oocytes. Data of 83 IVF/ICSI-ET cycle, including pregnancy results, and a total of 1033 oocytes examined were analyzed retrospectively.
Results:
Polar body position does not always accurately predict spindle position. Similar fertilization was observed in the polscope detected and in the control group. The main number of oocytes and spindle positive oocytes collected was higher in the pregnant than in the non-pregnant group. Higher fertilization was found in that group where 2/3-d of the oocytes had detected spindle. The main number of oocytes and spindle positive oocytes obtained decreased with increasing age of patients.
Conclusions:
The presence of birefringent spindle predicts higher fertilization and development and greater probability of pregnancy.
Related Concept Videos
Meiosis II
Meiosis II
The timing and cell division patterns of meiosis differ between males and females. In male meiosis, the centrosomes are part of the formation of the meiotic spindle. However, in oocytes, including that of humans, Drosophila,...
Meiosis vs. Mitosis
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...
The Mitotic Spindle
The bipolar configuration of the mitotic spindle facilitates chromosomal segregation, preparing the cell for division. One mechanism that ensures bipolar mitotic...
Meiosis I

