There have been changes in the incidence and epidemiology of pelvic ring fractures in recent decades?

The pelvic ring fractures comprise 2-8% of all skeletal injuries. As the incidence rises to 25% in polytrauma and represents a negative prognostic factor with regard to morbidity and mortality of patients, we sought with this work to establish the profile of these, compared to an alteration in the profile of patients with pelvic ring fractures in recent decades. To this end, we evaluated the epidemiological profile, mechanism of injury and types of fractures. By reviewing the literature indexed in the databases related to the theme, 20 papers were selected that contained the requirements for the study. For the period between January 1987 and December 1999 (first decade), and another period in January 2000 and December 2010 (second decade), data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. The ratings Tile, Young and Burgess AO were adequate to permit their categorization. The research in each decade was homogeneous. At first the lesions were more prevalent in men with 62.5% with a tendency to reverse this pattern given the increase of women in the second decade (p = 0.286). The average age in the first decade was 39.3 years, an increase in the second (p = 0.068). The most prevalent mechanisms of trauma were related to traffic in both periods as well as fractures classified as type A (p = 0.203 and p = 0.457, respectively), having mortality rates decreased (p = 0.396). We conclude that there was a tendency to increase in the average age of patients (p = 0.068); however the increasing involvement of women (p = 0.286) and decreased mortality (p = 0.396) were not significant.