Aim: With the predicted demographic change, the treatment of geriatric patients will become a major issue for health systems worldwide. The majority of pelvic ring fractures occur in older adults, and their treatment might be associated with a distinct mortality. Herein, we analyzed the data of 5665 patients with pelvic ring fractures aged ≥60 years included in the German Pelvic Trauma Registry from 1991 to 2013.
Methods: The data were collected prospectively, multicentrically in hospitals participating in the German Pelvic Trauma Registry. Demographic data were retrospectively analyzed, stratified for age, sex, type of injury, mode of therapy, injury severity score (ISS) and mortality.
Results: The overall mortality decreased over the 22-year study period from 9.3% to 3.8% (P < 0.05), whereas the median ISS significantly increased. During the observation period, mortality was higher in patients with type B and, particularly, type C fractures when compared with patients with type A fractures. Mortality rates of patients aged >80 years did not significantly differ from those aged >60 or >70 years. Male patients showed a significantly higher mortality compared with female patients, as well as a significantly higher median ISS. The mortality rate of patients with surgically-treated type C fractures decreased over the study period from 35.7% to 6.9% (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Over the past two decades, the mortality of older patients after pelvic ring fractures has significantly decreased. The higher overall mortality rate of male patients might mainly be accounted for by the relatively higher fraction of type C fractures and a higher ISS. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 24-29.
Keywords: German Pelvic Trauma Registry; mortality of pelvic ring fractures; pelvic ring fractures.
© 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.