Techniques of anterior pelvic fixation.

ABSTRACT

Although definitive fixation of anterior pelvic ring injuries is usually referred to an orthopaedic trauma surgeon or a surgeon proficient in pelvic surgery, all orthopaedic surgeons should be familiar with the initial management and resuscitation of patients with high-energy pelvic ring injuries. The initial treatment may be limited to sheet or binder application in the emergency department to allow transfer of the patient to a trauma center or the application of an external fixator by an on-call surgeon, even though that surgeon may not be responsible for definitive fixation. It is important to understand the general principles and approaches used at the time of definitive surgery because decisions made by the initial treating physician may affect (or limit) the ability of the orthopaedic traumatologist to provide definitive care.