External fixators for treatment of pelvic fractures

Abstract

Objective To investigate the advantages of the external fixators used in the treatment of pelvic fracture. Methods From April 2002 to July 2008, 55 patients with unstable pelvic fracture were treated respectively with simple external fixators, external fixators plus traction and external fixators plus in-ternul fixation according to their different Tile classifications. Results Of this group, 51 cases were followed up for an average of 11 months, 2 cases died because of multi-injuries, and 2 cases were lost in the follow-up. All of the 51 patients obtained bony union. On average, it took 11 (6 to 14) weeks to achieve weight-bearing walking, and 12 (8 to 14) weeks to remove the external fixators for the patients. By Liu Li-ming's evaluation system, the good to excellent rate was up to 88.2%. Conclusions The pelvic fractures of Tile B1 and B2 can be treated with simple external fixators and those of Tile C with external fix-ators plus internal fixation or traction to achieve fracture reduction and stability of the pelvic ring. For the patients with multi-injuries, external fixators used in the emergency treatment can stabilize the pelvic ring, reduce blood loss and improve the success rate. Key words: Pelvic; Fracture; External fixators; Internal fixators