Objective: To evaluate the functional outcomes and pain in patients with unilateral posterior pelvic ring injuries treated with transiliac-transsacral screw fixation compared with unilateral iliosacral screw fixation.
Design: Retrospective comparative study.
Setting: Three academic level 1 trauma centers.
Patients/participants: From a group of 866 patients with pelvic ring injuries treated surgically, 86 patients with unilateral pelvic ring injuries treated with transiliac-transsacral screws and 97 patients treated with unilateral iliosacral screws were identified. Thirty-six patients treated with transiliac-transsacral fixation and 26 patients treated with unilateral iliosacral screws met the inclusion criteria and participated.
Intervention: Patients were treated surgically for unstable pelvic ring injuries with either unilateral iliosacral screws or transiliac-transsacral screws at the discretion of the treating surgeon.
Main outcome measurement: Majeed Pelvic Score.
Results: There was no significant difference in Majeed Pelvic Scores between patients treated with transiliac-transsacral screws and those treated with unilateral iliosacral screws (72.8 ± 23.7 vs. 70.4 ± 19.0, P = 0.66). There was no difference in side-specific Numeric Rating Scale pain scores between patients treated with transiliac-transsacral screws and those treated with unilateral iliosacral screws on the injured side (2.5 ± 3.1 vs. 2.0 ± 2.4, P = 0.46) or the uninjured side (1.7 ± 2.8 vs. 0.8 ± 1.7, P = 0.12). Mean follow-up was greater than 3 years with no difference between the groups (mean 1270 vs. 1242 days, P = 0.84).
Conclusions: Treatment of unilateral pelvic ring injuries with transiliac-transsacral screws does not adversely affect or improve patient outcomes or subjective pain scores when compared with those treated with unilateral iliosacral screws.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.