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)