[Traumatic injuries to the ileosacral joint; late results (author's transl)]

Injury to the ileosacral joint is the result of particularly severe traumatic violence. On the average, it is accompanied by 3 additional injuries to the osseous pelvis. Treatment depends on the nature and seriousness of the trauma to the anterior or posterior pelvic girdle and concomitant injuries. Operative stabilization is necessary if the accompanying injuries are severe. Conservative treatment was aimed at in all other cases. Of the 45 patients followed-up, 40 complained of persistent subjective discomfort. Clinical examination of the ileosacral joints revealed that it was the cause of late complaints in 32 patients, while in the remaining 8 the cause could be traced to other parts of the pelvis. X-ray findings showed no correlation to the complaints. Even in those cases where the interarticular space appears normal in the X-ray, complaints can be expected with the same frequency and intensity as in arthrotic or ankylotic joints. With regard to the late results, the surgically treated patients can only be conditionally compared with those treated conservatively. Nevertheless the late morbidity of these patients appears to be particularly high.