Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Minimally Invasive Treatment for Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture Using Sagittal Alignment Screws and A Trauma Reduction Device
Published on: November 8, 2024
Paediatric pelvic fractures - an updated literature review
Alexander T M Nguyen1,2,3, David P Drynan1, Andrew J A Holland4,5
1Orthopaedics Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Paediatric pelvic fractures require distinct management strategies due to differences in bone response compared to adults. This review highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines for assessing and treating these rare injuries in children.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Trauma
- Radiology
Background:
- Pelvic fractures in children signify severe trauma with potential for life-threatening associated injuries.
- Paediatric and adult pelvises exhibit different responses to trauma, necessitating distinct management approaches.
- Historically conservative treatment is evolving due to understanding of limited pelvic remodeling in children and advancements in surgical fixation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on paediatric pelvic fractures.
- To summarize incidence, pathophysiology, assessment, management, and complications.
- To identify gaps in evidence and areas requiring further research.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for paediatric pelvic fractures (2000-2020).
- Inclusion of 143 studies in the literature review.
Main Results:
- Paediatric pelvic fractures are rare, with limited high-quality randomized clinical trials.
- Incidence, pathophysiology, assessment, management, and complications were summarized from 143 studies.
- Current trends, such as screening pelvic X-rays, are often adapted from adult protocols and require scrutiny in children.
Conclusions:
- The rarity of paediatric pelvic fractures contributes to a lack of specific evidence-based guidelines.
- Established adult assessment and management protocols may not be directly applicable to children.
- Further research and high-quality trials are needed to optimize the care of paediatric pelvic fractures.
Background:
Pelvic fractures in children are indicative of significant trauma. Patients will often have associated injuries - some of which require urgent intervention to prevent death and disability. Paediatric and adult pelvises respond to traumatic forces differently and distinct approaches are required for each population. Historically, pelvic fractures have been treated conservatively, but this trend is changing with a better understanding of the pelvis' inability to remodel significant deformity, as well as new techniques for operative fixation.
Methods:
A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted for articles published between 2000 and 2020 on paediatric pelvic fractures using medical databases including PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library.
Results:
We included 143 studies in our literature review and summarized the incidence, pathophysiology, assessment, management and complications associated with paediatric pelvic fractures.
Conclusions:
The rarity of paediatric pelvic fractures corresponds with a paucity of randomized clinical trials covering this topic. Trends such as the screening pelvic x-ray are derived from adult populations but are now questioned in children. Other aspects of assessment and management of these children warrant such levels of scrutiny.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
01:26Flail Chest-II
Assessment:
1. Clinical Evaluation:
History: