629 Small Bowel Entrapment Secondary to An Acetabular Fracture: A Case Report

Abstract

Abstract Bowel entrapment within a pelvic fracture is a rare clinical occurrence. The first reported case was documented in 1907, with only 24 further cases reported in the literature since. Entrapment usually involves mobile segments of bowel and various fracture sites within the pelvis have been implicated. We report a case of a 31-year-old ‘trauma alert’, who sustained pelvic fractures following a pedestrian vs car ‘RTC’. The patient was initially taken to theatre for an examination under anaesthesia, where an immobile acetabular fragment was identified, but the hip joint was felt to be stable. A Denham pin was placed in the distal femur and traction applied. Two days post admission they developed abdominal pain and vomiting. A subsequent CT scan demonstrated small bowel entrapment within the acetabular fracture causing a mechanical obstruction. Emergency laparotomy confirmed an intra-acetabular hernia which was released via an extra-peritoneal route. A section of necrotic bowel was resected, and a primary anastomosis performed. Bowel entrapment poses a difficult diagnostic challenge and there is often a delay in diagnosis. Despite advances in imaging, initial radiographic features can be subtle, and it can be difficult to distinguish clinically between mechanical bowel obstruction and adynamic ileus. This case highlights that bowel entrapment is an important consideration in patients with pelvic fractures following high energy trauma. Awareness of this rare complication and a high index of suspicion are key to early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention, which has the potential to prevent significant complications including bowel obstruction, acute peritonitis and death.