[Effects of a Pelvic Ring Injury on Earning Capacity]

Introduction: Pelvic ring injuries occur in 3-8 % of patients with fractures. They are rare, with an annual incidence of only 19-37 per 100,000 people annually. There have been publications on the generation of these injuries, as well as their diagnosis and treatment concepts, but there is little information on how these injuries impact the ability to work. Patients: The study covered all hospitalised patients between January 2003 and December 2011 with a pelvic ring injury, who had already been included in the data collection of the AG Becken III and who had had a work-related accident. Data acquisition was completed 12 months after the first cover letter. Data collection was supported by the statutory accident insurance institutions. Responses to the following questions were collected: Results: During the time period, 835 patients were admitted to our hospital with an injury to the pelvic ring or acetabulum. 632 patients (75.7 %) had a pelvic ring injury. 95 patients had a work-related accident, for which 67 records (70.5 %) could be evaluated. Seven patients were in retirement at the time. The average age was 48 years. In the patient population, we identified 9 type A, 16 type B and 42 type C injuries. The mean duration of incapacity for work was 9.5 months. 36 patients were able to return to their old work again, 22 patients did not. For two of these patients, this was due to cerebral haemorrhage. The mean reduction in earning capacity at the 1st and 2nd pension reports was 28 %. The individual rating of the degree of trauma lay between 0 % (B2.1) to 60 % (C1.2). Subgroup analysis was not performed, due to the small number of patients and their lack of homogeneity. As only hospitalised patients were included in the study group, there was excessive accumulation of pelvic B and C fractures in the patient group. The study shows that pelvic ring injuries can have a significant impact on the duration of the incapacity and the ability to work.