[Thierry's spatula instrumental extraction: a study of foetal-maternal morbidity]. / L'extraction instrumentale par spatules de Thierry: étude de la morbidité maternofoetale.

OBJECTIVE: Assisted delivery is necessary in many obstetrical conditions but is involved in maternal and foetal complications. The legal pressure and the commendable aim consisting in less neonatal morbidity and mortality have called forth a reflection about the type and the way of instrumental foetal extraction. In 1950, Thierry had already felt this problem and he invented spatula to replace obstetrical forceps. Although this instrument appears empirically little deleterious, literature about its evaluation is very poor. We studied this instrument in a retrospective 190 cases series. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective study of 190 Thierry's spatula extractions, over a seven-year period (January 1996 to December 2002), at the Centre Hospitalier General of Montbeliard. RESULTS: Out of a total of 8126 deliveries for the study period, the instrumental extraction rate was 5.3%, with 40.6% spatula extractions (190 cases). No failure of Thierry's spatula extraction was noted. DISCUSSION ET CONCLUSION: Our study concludes that spatula is efficient but does not usually permit anterior rotation of occipito-posterior presentation. Maternal and foetal morbidity is not frequent.