Acetabular fracture patterns: associations with motor vehicle crash information.

BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of acetabular fractures, which have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

METHODS: To date, medical and collision information has been collected on 83 acetabular fracture patients treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Level I trauma center. The fractures were grouped according to the Judet-Letournel classification scheme and investigated for correlation with age, sex, vehicle type, impact direction, and seat-belt use.

RESULTS: The database included 41 women and 42 men with a combined average age of 32.8 years. Femoral shaft axis loading fractures correlated significantly with male sex, trucks, and frontal impacts. Greater trochanter loading fractures occurred statistically more frequently in side impacts. Women received a significant higher percentage of off-axis loading fractures, which were associated more in angled frontal impacts.

CONCLUSION: Acetabular fracture type strongly correlated with impact direction, supporting the fracture mechanisms proposed by Judet and Letournel.