Surgical treatment of unstable pelvic ring injuries

Abstract

Introduction. Unstable pelvic ring injuries are among the most serious injuries of skeletal system. As they are often associated with young age and multiple organ injuries they are difficult for management. Material and Methods. This study included 26 unstable pelvic ring injuries surgically treated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology from August 2008 until August 2015. The average age of 22 males and 4 female patients was 45.4 years. The most common mechanism for injury was a traffic accident (19), fall from height (6), and one patient was buried under rubble. Out of 26 patients who were operated, 24 had type C injury and two had type B injury according to Tiles classification. The average follow-up time was 23 months (8-84 months). The functional outcome was assessed by means of Majeed and Iowa Pelvic Score. Results. Pelvic ring injuries were healed in all 26 patients. A leg length discrepancy was found in 13 patients and it was 9 mm on average. Four patients reported using walking stick, and 5 out of 26 had sexual dysfunction. Majeed score was 72.1 on average (23 to 100), and Iowa Pelvic Score was 76.5 (38 to 100). Conclusion. Unstable pelvic ring injuries are difficult to be surgically treated. When these injuries are treated adequately and timely, good results can be expected. Average scores achieved by our patients are very good for both scales.