Surgical Treatment of Low Energy Pelvic Fractures in the Elderly

Surgical Treatment of Low Energy Pelvic Ring Fractures in the Elderly: Cross-sectional Single-centre Study From Basel, Switzerland

Since May 2010 the Department of Trauma, Basel University Hospital has performed surgical stabilisation of the posterior pelvic ring on 55 patients. These patients have not received a structured follow up examination or evaluation of outcome after surgery.

Functional outcome of elderly patients with surgical treatment of low energy pelvic ring fractures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Elderly patients (age ≥55y ears) of any ethnic / sociodemographic background
• Pelvic ring fracture after low energy trauma affecting the posterior ring or both (posterior and anterior ring)
• Surgical stabilisation of the pelvic ring at Basel University Hospital between May 2010 and December 2014
• Ambulatory before surgery
• Informed consent for study participation by the patient or legal representatives

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal of consent by the patient or legal representatives to participate in the study
• Fractures within the last 3 months before follow-up
• Suspicion of a pathological fracture in the context of known or unknown malignancy
• Symptomatic low back pain with morphological changes, i.e. intervertebral disc displacement, neoplasm metastasis in the axial skeleton, spinal stenosis, vertebral fracture, spondylarthropathy etc.
• Pre-trauma mobility status that precludes achieving a post-trauma mobility status enabling the patient to perform the timed up and go test (e.g. patient in a wheel chair)