Abstract
Introduction and objectives
The correlation between pelvic fracture pattern and mortality has been previously investigated and demonstrated. However, the purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the relationship between hemodynamic instability and pelvic fracture pattern according to different classifications.
Materials and methods
A retrospective study of high-energy pelvic fractures was performed for consecutive patients admitted to our Level I trauma center between June 2007 and June 2010. A total of 759 polytrauma patients were attended, 100 of whom had a pelvic fracture and were included in our study. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, and associated injuries were recorded. The patients were classified as hemodynamic stable or unstable. The pelvic fracture patterns were divided into stable and unstable group according to the Young-Burgess and Tile classifications. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the relationship between fracture pattern and hemodynamic instability.
Results
High-energy pelvic fracture was more frequent in men (70 %), the mean age was 45.2 years, and the mortality rate was 24 %. The main mechanism of injury was motor vehicle injury (41 %). Pelvic fracture pattern (neither Tile classification nor Young-Burgess classification) showed no correlation with the hemodynamic condition of the patient in our study (p > 0.05). Death could neither be predicted on the basis of pelvic fracture pattern (p > 0.05). We found a statistical association between patients affected by high-energy pelvic fracture and head injury, and death (p < 0.01).
Conclusion
Pelvic fracture pattern is not useful to predict hemodynamic instability in polytrauma, regardless of the classification system used. Pelvic fracture pattern is not useful to predict mortality risk; however, it contributes to increase mortality risk in cases of associated head injury.
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Cortina Gualdo, J., Barastegui Fernandez, D., Teixidor Serra, J. et al. Pelvic fractures in polytrauma: which classification system better predicts hemodynamic instability?. Eur Orthop Traumatol 4, 35–39 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12570-012-0144-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12570-012-0144-4