Instability of the pelvic ring and injury severity can be predictors of death in patients with pelvic ring fractures: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between fracture type and mortality in patients with pelvic fracture has been previously investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether instability of the pelvic ring as assessed by Tile's classification is a predictor of death in patients with pelvic fractures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical course of consecutive patients with pelvic fractures was retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-seven patients with pelvic ring fractures were included in the study. As potential predictive factors, fracture type according to Tile's classification, and generally used traumatic parameters (injury severity score, revised trauma score, and probability of survival) were analyzed.

RESULTS: The mortality was significantly higher in patients with unstable fracture patterns (P < 0.05). In non-survivors, index values of traumatic parameters were more severe than those in survivors (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that patients with unstable pelvic fractures have an increased risk of death associated with exacerbated injury severity.