The "crushed open pelvis" in children

A retrospective analysis was performed in order to review the outcome of open pelvic fractures in children. Medical records, radiographs and CT scans of 15 children with open pelvic fractures admitted to our trauma centre between 1983 and 1995 were reviewed. The minimal follow-up on the survivors was two years. Out of 15 open pelvic fractures ten were vertically unstable. The mechanism of injury was auto-pedestrian collision in 93% (n = 14) of the cases. 86% (n = 13) of the fractures were a result of a "run-over" mechanism, 40% (n = 6) were caused by heavy duty vehicles. All children had injuries in the proximity of the pelvis. Despite the severity of trauma, we found mortality to be 20% (n = 3). Sepsis and deep infection originating from anorectal and genitourinary excretions were found to be the most frequent complications. The improvement in surgical techniques of the pelvis influenced the orthopaedic treatment in these 15 children. External fixation of the pelvis is not always sufficient and to achieve better stabilization of the pelvis, open reduction and internal fixation should be considered. In order to minimize complications, aggressive intervention is needed including irrigation, debridement, intravenous antibiotics, diverging colostomies and cystostomies and fracture fixation. The coordination between trauma teams of different disciplines throughout all stages of the treatment is crucial to achieving better results.