Pelvis and hip joint injuries as a reconstructive factors in car-to-pedestrian accidents

The pelvic girdles of 371 pedestrian victims of road traffic accidents were evaluated during postmortem examinations. Additionally, 144 hip joints were opened. The pelvic injuries were found in 28% of the pedestrians hit exclusively in their upright position and 52% of the victims run over by a vehicle. The side of the body hit by a car was determined on the basis of the location of blood suffusions within the subcutaneous tissues and muscles of lower limbs as well as the character of injuries found in the knee and upper ankle joints. The findings were verified with the data from court records. It was shown that the injuries of the sacroiliac joints or vertical fractures of the posterior parts of iliac bones were useful parameters for determining the side (left or right) of the body hit by a vehicle. Moreover, it was found that a direct impact on the hip region was evidenced by the ipsilaterally localized fractures of the iliac ala, central hip fractures and intraosseous blood suffusions within the greater trochanter of the femur. The external dislocations of the hip joints (always) and bilateral injuries to the sacroiliac joints (usually) were observed in the victims run over by vehicles.