Long-term musculoskeletal function after Open Pelvic ring fractures in Children (OPEC); a multicentre, retrospective case series with follow-up measurement.

Background: The proportion of Open Pelvic fractures in the paediatric population is relatively high. While operative fixation is the primary approach for managing Open Pelvic fractures in adults, there is limited literature on treatment outcomes in Children, particularly regarding long-term musculoskeletal, neurological, and urogenital function. Methods: This multicentre case series included paediatric patients (<18 years old) with Open Pelvic ring fractures treated at one of two major trauma centres in the Netherlands between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2021. Data collection involved clinical records and long-term assessments, including musculoskeletal function, growth disorders, urogenital function, sexual dysfunction, and sensory motor function. Results: A total of 11 patients were included, primarily females (73 %), with a median age at trauma of 12 years (P25-P75 7-14). Most patients had unstable Pelvic ring fractures resulting from high-energy trauma. Surgical interventions were common, with external fixation as the main initial surgical approach (n = 7, 70 %). Complications were observed in eight (73 %) patients. Musculoskeletal function revealed a range of issues in the lower extremity, daily activities, and mental and emotional domain. Long-term radiologic follow-up showed high rates of Pelvic malunion (n = 7, 64 %). Neurological function assessment showed motor and sensory function impairment in a subset of patients. Urogenital function was moderately affected, and sexual dysfunction was limited with most respondents reporting no issues. Conclusion: Paediatric Open Pelvic fractures are challenging injuries associated with significant short-term complications and long-term musculoskeletal and urogenital issues. Further research is needed to develop tailored treatment strategies and improve outcomes of these patients.

Spinal anesthesia in the percutaneous fixation of fragility fractures of the pelvis.

Introduction: The number of geriatric patients with a pelvic ring fracture is rising and minimal invasive fixation techniques are increasingly popular. The patient characteristics of these fragile patients are similar to those of patients with a proximal femur fracture. In the field of proximal femur fracture surgery spinal anesthesia is a very commonly used anesthetic technique in this more fragile patient population. Methods: All patients were treated between January 2022 and May 2022 in the Amsterdam UMC location AMC in The Netherlands. The operations were performed by a surgeon who specialized in pelvic and acetabular fracture surgery in a hybrid operating theatre. All patient in this case series received spinal anesthesia using 2-2.5 ml glucosated bupivacaine 5 mg/ml. Results: We describe, for the first time, four cases of percutaneous pelvic ring fracture fixation using spinal anesthesia. There were no perioperative or direct postoperative complications. Patients quickly regained the ability to mobilize, reported little pain complaints, and could be safely discharged to either a rehabilitation center or home. Conclusion: We believe spinal anesthesia could be a safe alternative to general anesthesia for the percutaneous fixation of pelvic ring injuries in a selected group of frail elderly patients. A proper assessment should determine whether or not spinal anesthesia is an option in pelvic fracture fixation, taking patient preference, the advice of the anesthetist, the choice of operative technique, and fracture pattern into consideration.

Critical review of the classification and treatment of pediatric pelvic fractures.

BACKGROUND: Historically most pediatric pelvic fractures were treated non-operatively because of the presumed potential of the pediatric pelvis to remodel and the subsequent increased fracture stability. Currently a wide variety of classifications in pediatric pelvic fractures is used to assess fracture stability and guide treatment, yet none have proven to be ideal since the structural behavior of the pediatric pelvis differs greatly from the adult pelvis. The aim of this review is to critically appraise the use of these different classification systems, fracture (in)stability, the treatment of pediatric pelvic fractures and how it reflects on long-term complications such as pelvic asymmetry and functional outcome. METHODS: A literature search was performed in Medline, Embase, Cochrane, PubMed, Google Scholar and references of the selected articles. Studies that reported on pain, leg length discrepancy (LLD), abnormal gait (GA), pelvic asymmetry, and functional outcomes of pediatric pelvic fractures were included. RESULTS: A total of six different classification systems were used, the most common were Tile (n= 9, 45%) and Torode and Zieg (n= 8, 40%). There was great disparity in treatment choice for the same type of fracture pattern, resulting in several pelvic ring fractures that were defined as unstable being treated non-operatively. Pelvic asymmetry is seen in rates up to 48% in non-operatively treated patients. In contrast, pelvic asymmetry in surgically fixated unstable pelvic fractures was rare, and these patients often showed excellent functional outcomes during follow-up. CONCLUSION: There is a substantial heterogeneity in which fracture patterns are considered to be unstable or in need of surgical fixation. Functional outcomes seem to be correlated with the frequency of pelvic asymmetry and are likely due to an underestimation of the stability of the pelvic fracture. Taking into consideration the force that is necessary to cause a facture in the pediatric pelvis, a fracture of the pelvic ring alone could be suggestive for instability. The results of this review imply that the field of pediatric pelvic surgery is currently not grasping the full scope of the complexity of these fractures, and that there is a need for a pediatric pelvic classification system and evidence-based treatment guideline.