Abstract
High-energy pelvic fractures represent potentially life-threatening injuries due to the risk of acute exsanguinating retroperitoneal hemorrhage. The first report of a severe pelvic ring disruption dates back to Charles Hewitt Moore’s seminal publication from 1851. Significant advantages in the understanding of injury mechanisms and treatment concepts of pelvic ring injuries evolved in the 20th century, and provided the basis to current classification-guided treatment and life-saving “damage control” concepts. However, there is a paucity of reports in the current literature focused on the historic background on the treatment of pelvic ring injuries. The present review was designed to summarize the history and evolution of our current understanding of the mechanisms and management strategies for severe pelvic ring injuries (excluding acetabular fractures which represent a different entity outside of the scope of this article).
Highlights
The concept of fracture stabilization for pain control, hemostasis, reduction of deformity and fracture healing dates back about 5,000 years to the ancient Egyptians who splinted fractures with wooden sticks and roller bandages [1]
The oldest documented surgical text in history is represented by the “Edwin Smith Papyrus” which dates back to the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt, around 3,000–2,500 BC (Fig. 1)
The papyrus is named after an American Egyptologist who purchased it in Luxor in 1862, and represents a scroll of 4.68 m in length
Summary
The concept of fracture stabilization for pain control, hemostasis, reduction of deformity and fracture healing dates back about 5,000 years to the ancient Egyptians who splinted fractures with wooden sticks and roller bandages [1]. Malgaigne noted that many patients would not survive this severe injury, and understood that there was a significant association between this fracture pattern, bleeding, and visceral injuries. A rare case report published in 1851 describes the deforming forces of a severe pelvic ring injury associated with a femoral head protrusion through an acetabular fracture (central hip dislocation) [6].
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