Lumbopelvic fixation of vertically unstable Tile type C pelvic fractures combined with complex sacral fractures / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of lumbopelvic fixation of vertically unstable Tile type C pelvic fractures combined with complex sacral fractures.Methods A prospective study was made on 21 cases of vertically unstable type C pelvic fractures combined with complex sacral fractures admitted between May 2014 and December 2015.There were 10 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 35.9 years (range, 14-59 years).Tile classification of pelvic fractures was type C1 in five cases, type C2 in four and type C3 in 12.Denis classification of sacral fractures was zone I in five cases, zone Ⅱ in seven and zone Ⅲ in nine.Twelve cases had neurological deficits.Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, bone healing time, pelvis vertical displacement and postoperative complications were recorded.Vertical displacement and functional outcome were assessed by Matta method and Majeed score respectively.Results All cases were followed up for (12.5±5.4)months (range, 7-26 months).Operation time was (108.0±49.4) min (range, 64-225 min).Intraoperative blood loss was 150-3 000 ml[400(225-500)ml].All fractures were healed at (19.0±4.6) weeks (range, 15-32 weeks).Vertical displacement of the pelvis was (8.76±5.46)mm (2.54-21.80 mm) before operation and (4.20±3.22)mm (0-12.57 mm) after lumbopelvic fixation (P<0.05), showing the reduction distance of-4.45-17.86 mm [4.09(1.74-5.58)mm].According to the Matta method, the results were excellent in 13 cases, good in six, and fair in two, with the excellent and good rate of 90%.Majeed score evaluation at last follow-up was 51-98 points and the results were excellent in nine cases, good in nine, fair in two and poor in one, with the excellent and good rate of 86%.Deep infection occurred in two cases who were cured by debridement and antibiotics, and the internal instruments of the two cases were removed after fracture healing.Screw loosening occurred in five cases with no evidence of screw breakage.Four cases complained of foreign body sensation and discomfort in sacral area due to the prominence of the iliac hardware.Four cases had limited range of motion of the lumbar spine, especially in anterior flexion range, and lumbar range of motion was recovered in three of them after removal of the internal fixator.Conclusion Lumbopelvic fixation can restore vertical stability of the pelvis, but removal of the internal fixator is suggested after fracture healing due to the high rate of screw loosening.