PELVIC FRACTURE

A pelvic fracture is a break in one or more of your bones that constitute the pelvis. These bones are uncommon and the break can range from mild to severe. While mild pelvic fractures usually don’t require surgery, severe fractures do.

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Pelvic Fracture

A pelvic fracture is a break in one or multiple bones that make up the pelvis. The pelvis is the area of your body right below your abdomen and located between your hip bones. These injuries are an uncommon type of fracture that can be mild or severe. When it comes to treatments, mild pelvic fractures usually don’t need any surgery. On the other hand, fixing severe fractures requires surgery.

Which Bones Create the Pelvis?

The bones that build up your pelvis include:

The sacrum (the large triangle-shaped bone at the base of the spine).
The coccyx (tailbone).
The ilium, ischium and pubis.

Together, these bones form the pelvic ring. The pelvis is a firm structure that protects many vital organs, nerves, and blood vessels. It secures a woman’s internal reproductive organs, the lower part of the digestive tract, bladder, etc. Also, it acts as an anchor for the leg muscles.

Who do Pelvic Fractures affect?

Anyone at any age can experience a pelvic fracture. Mild ones are common in older people since they are more likely to have weak bones (as in osteoporosis). Also, severe pelvic fractures are most likely to occur in people aged 15 to 28. Men are more likely to experience a broken pelvic bone under age 35. And women are more likely to experience a pelvic fracture over the age of 35.

However, a broken pelvic bone is not a common injury. In adults, only 3% of bone fractures are pelvic fractures. In most cases, a broken pelvic bone occurs from high-impact incidents such as falling from a significant height or a car accident.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is the extent of my child's pelvic fracture, and how severe is it?

A pelvic fracture is a break in one or more of the bones that make up the pelvis, which can result from various types of trauma, such as a car accident, sports injury, or a fall. The doctor will explain the nature of the pelvic fracture and the circumstances that led to the injury.

What is the recommended treatment plan for my child's pelvic fracture, and what is the expected recovery time?

The treatment plan for a pelvic fracture depends on the type and severity of the fracture. It may involve rest, pain management, physical therapy, or surgical intervention. The expected recovery time can vary but often takes several weeks to months, and full recovery may take longer. The doctor will outline the specific treatment plan for your child and provide an estimated timeline for healing.

Will my child experience any long-term complications, and what precautions should we take during their recovery?

The long-term outcome of a pelvic fracture depends on several factors, including the type of fracture and the quality of medical care and rehabilitation. While some children may experience lasting complications or limitations, many can recover well with proper treatment and physical therapy. The doctor will discuss potential long-term effects and offer guidance on how to support your child’s recovery and well-being.

It’s important to note that the specific questions and concerns may vary based on the type and severity of the pelvic fracture, the child’s age, and individual circumstances. The doctor will tailor their responses to address the unique needs and conditions of the child who has experienced a pelvic fracture.

When children break bones, parents need to take them to the very best doctors. At the Medical City Children’s Orthopedics and Spine Specialists, we are the best. We specialize in children and their bones.

Types of Pelvic Fractures

Since the pelvis has many bones, there are various pelvic fractures. Depending on the pattern of the break, generally, there are several kinds of bone fractures:

Open or closed (compound) fractures: It is a closed fracture if the fracture doesn’t break open the surrounding skin. On the other hand, if the broken bone penetrates through your skin, it’s an open fracture, aka compound fracture.
Partial fractures: A partial fracture occurs when the fracture doesn’t go all the way through the bone.
Stress fractures: When the bone has a crack in it, a stress fracture occurs.
Complete fractures: When the bone breaks into two pieces, it is a complete fracture.
Displaced fractures: When there is a gap in the fractured bone, it’s a displaced fracture.

Along with the specific pattern of the fractures, specialists also categorize a pelvic fracture as being stable or unstable:

Stable pelvic fracture: In this fracture, there’s generally only one break in the pelvis, and the broken parts of the bones are in place. These fractures from low-impact incidents, such as running or a minor fall, are generally stable fractures.
Unstable pelvic fracture: In this type of fracture, there are often multiple fractures with the displaced ends of broken parts of the bones. In most cases, unstable fractures of this kind are caused by high-impact incidents such as car crashes.
Avulsion Fracture – Even though it’s not common, it is another type of pelvic fracture. This fracture occurs when the tendon or ligament tears away from the attached bone, taking a fragment of bone with it.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of a pelvic fracture may vary depending on how mild or severe it is. Common symptoms can include:

Pain in your child’s hip, groin, or lower back.
Increasing pain while walking or moving the legs.
Numbness or tingling sensation in the groin area or legs.
Pain in your abdomen.
Difficulty while peeing.
Difficult time walking or standing.

Causes

Situations and conditions that can cause a pelvic fracture are:

High-impact events: Pelvis is a highly stable bone structure. That is why most pelvic fractures are likely to happen due to high-impact events that usually cause unstable pelvic fractures.
Bone-weakening diseases: Bone-weakening (osteoporosis) can cause pelvic fractures. If your child has a bone-weakening disease, even doing a routine activity or a minor fall can cause a broken pelvic bone. These are usually stable fractures.
Athletic activities: It is not common that someone playing a sport could get a pelvic fracture. But if it occurs, it is an avulsion fracture. Generally, a pelvic avulsion fracture is a stable fracture.

Diagnosis

For proper diagnosis, all pelvic fractures require an X-ray. Also, your healthcare provider may recommend your child undergo other imaging tests to learn more about tje injury. Here are the following imaging tests that help diagnose a broken pelvic bone:

X-rays: X-rays utilize radiation to take images of your child’s bones. All pelvic fractures require X-rays since they allow your healthcare provider to see which part of the pelvis has a fracture, how severe it is, etc. Thus, they can determine how to treat the fracture.

CT (computed tomography) scan: A CT scan uses multiple X-rays from different angles of the body to get detailed images. A CT scan offers more detailed images than X-rays. Your doctor may recommend your child undergo a CT scan to know the pelvic fracture details and to ensure whether there are other injuries.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): An MRI utilizes radio waves, a magnet, and a computer to get detailed images of the bones and organs. Your doctor may suggest an MRI if they can’t get enough information regarding your child’s pelvic fracture from a CT scan and X-rays.

Treatment

Pelvic fracture treatment depends on various factors, such as:

The severity of your child’s fracture.
The type and pattern of fracture.
Which bones are fractured, and how much they are displaced?
Your child’s overall health and other injuries (if any).

Usually, fractures in which the injured bones aren’t displaced, don’t need any surgery. Treatment for a stable fracture are:

Rest: Doctors recommend that your child rest as much as possible so that there is no extra pressure or stress on the pelvic fracture.

Walking aids: Depending on where the pelvic fracture is, doctors may recommend your child use a walking aid such as a walker, crutches, a wheelchair, etc. to avoid putting much weight on your leg(s). Your child may have to use a walking aid for more than 3 months or until the pelvis heals completely.

Medications: For pain relief, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication. They may also prescribe blood thinner medications to reduce the chance of having blood clots in the veins of your child’s pelvis and legs.

Treating an unstable or more severe pelvic fracture usually needs one or multiple surgeries, such as:

External fixation: Using external fixation helps stabilize the pelvic area after a fracture. In this surgery, doctors insert metal pins or screws into your child’s bones by making small incisions into your skin and muscle. The screws and pins will stick out of your child’s skin on both sides of the pelvis. These are attached to the bars outside of the body. Thus, this system works as a stabilizing frame that holds your child’s broken bones in their proper position while the injury heals.

Skeletal traction: Skeletal traction is a pulley system outside the body. And it helps realign the fragments of a broken bone(s). During skeletal traction, the surgeon implants metal pins in the shinbone or thigh bone. And these stick out of the skin for positioning the leg. Weights are attached to the pins that gently pull on the leg. It helps keep the broken pelvic bone pieces in a more normal position.

Open reduction and internal fixation: During internal fixation and open reduction surgery, doctors first reposition the displaced pelvic bone fragments into their normal alignment. Then they use screws or metal plates to hold the fragments together. These screws or metal plates are attached to the bone’s outer surface.

Conclusion

People with severe pelvic fractures are often likely to have other injuries that need proper treatment for complete recovery. In these cases, treating the related injuries determines the success of a broken pelvic bone. If your child has a pelvic fracture, make sure you consult a doctor for proper treatment and recovery.

Request An Appointment For Your Child’s Broken Pelvic Bone

The Medical City Children’s Orthopedics and Spine Specialists has been providing excellent broken arm fractures for many years. We focus on improving the long-term health of your child’s bones. If your child is in pain as a result of a broken pelvis, call one of our compassionate experts at 214-556-0590 to schedule an appointment with us. Finally, we offer personalized treatment and urgent pediatric care services at all of our four locations —Arlington, Dallas, Flower Mound, Frisco, and McKinney, TX. If you notice any symptoms of a broken arm in your child, don’t hesitate to contact us to avoid complications.

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Footnote:

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Pelvic Fracture

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