Background: This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of anterior plating with subsequent percutaneous iliosacral screwing for the management of unstable pelvic ring injuries.
Methods: Nineteen patients with unstable pelvic ring injuries were included in this retrospective study. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year, and their mean age was 43 years. According to the Association for Osteosynthesis-Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO-OTA) classification, there were 5 B2 injuries, 11 C1 injuries, and 3 C2 injuries. After anterior fixation by means of plating, an iliosacral screw fixation was carried out percutaneously using a C-arm fluoroscope.
Results: All fractures healed, except for 1 case of nonunion at the pubic ramus. Radiological results showed that there were 9 anatomic, 7 nearly anatomic, 2 moderate, and 1 poor reduction. Sixteen of the 19 patients had good or excellent results for function, and all these had satisfactory (anatomic or nearly anatomic) reductions. The two moderate and 1 poor result were from an unsatisfactory reduction in a type-C injury with residual neurological signs. A screw misplacement with a neurological compromise occurred in 1 patient, but there were no adverse sequelae after its removal. The complications encountered were 2 cases of screw loosening, 2 cases of anterior metal failure, and 1 deep infection.
Conclusions: Anterior plating with subsequent percutaneous iliosacral screwing may be a useful method of treatment for unstable pelvic ring injuries, and the reduction quality and residual neurological signs were important in its functional outcome.