The development of a scoring system for symphysis pubis dysfunction

Based on a review of the literature, a questionnaire was developed to create a scoring system for pregnancy-related symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) and completed by 150 (100 without SPD and 50 with SPD) peri-partum women. The questionnaire was tested for reliability in a sub-set of 21 women. Symptoms that were significantly associated with SPD were identified and used in a scoring system in order to diagnose patients with SPD. SPD was reported by 12% of patients in the first trimester, 34% in the second trimester and 52% in the third trimester. Significant symptoms in patients with SPD were: pubic bone pain on walking, turning over in bed, climbing stairs, standing on one leg, and previous damage to back or pelvis. Using a score of 1 for each of the above symptoms, a score of 2 and above was considered diagnostic of SPD. There was 1 false positive score. As SPD is a clinical condition with no definitive diagnostic test, there is a need for a scoring system that will allow patients to be assessed in terms of their symptoms. This system has the potential to facilitate screening, diagnosis and management of SPD as well as allow monitoring of the patient and assessment of the success of various interventions.