[Posterior approaches to the pelvic ring]

The posterior pelvic ring is critical for the mechanical stability of the pelvis. There is considerable variability in the degree of traumatic injury to the posterior pelvis which results in damage to the ligaments, the bones or a combination of these two functional structures. For management of combined posterior and anterior pelvic ring injuries it is crucial to decide which side has to be treated with priority. Surgical approaches for the posterior pelvic ring include transiliacal plate osteosynthesis, local plate osteosynthesis, iliosacral screw ostheosynthesis and spinopelvic stabilization. The degree of soft tissue damage represents an important criterion that should be considered when determining the surgical approach because extensive soft tissue damage often prevents enlarged explorative surgical access. Especially in posterior pelvic ring injuries, soft tissues should be preserved as much as possible because long periods of immobilization in severely injured patients can compromise wound healing. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the most commonly used posterior surgical approaches for pelvic ring injuries.