A survey of pelvic x-rays in the elderly

Pelvic x-rays taken as a routine in 150 patients in a geriatric hospital revealed a considerable number of pathological conditions, many of which were unexpected. These included pathollgical fractures of the pelvic bones and femoral necks, calcification of the walls of the iliac and femoral vessels, calcified fibroids of the uterus, urinary stones, arthritis of the hip joints, metastases, osteomalacia, Paget's disease of pelvic bones and lumbar vertebrae, and degenerative arthritic chcnages in the lumbar spine. Routine x-ray of the pelvis is indicated in elderly patients admitted to geriatric hospitals.