Abstract
Background
Acetabular or pelvic ring injuries are invariably associated with high-energy trauma that could lead to a significant degree of disability. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients who had surgical treatment of isolated acetabular or pelvic injuries were able to return to their previous sporting activities.
Patients and method
Between January 2001 and January 2002 90 patients were treated in our institution with pelvic (PF) and acetabular (AF) fractures. We excluded 22 of them who had sustained other associated injuries in order to eliminate the potential bias that the associated injuries could have on the results. Demographics, fracture classification, rehabilitation, outcome and complications were documented prospectively. Frequency, level of activity and sports participation before and after surgery, as well as EuroQol (EQ-5D) were also recorded.
Results
There were 58 male and 10 female patients, with a mean age of 42 years (16-80) and mean follow-up of 30 months (24-36). 43 out of 53 (81%) patients in AF group and 13 out of 15 patients in PF group (83%) returned to a variable level of sports activity. Significant reduction was observed in those who sustained both column (BC) (p<0.04) and posterior wall (PW) (p<0.0009) fractures in the AF group. Significant reduction in frequency of sports practice was also found in the PW subgroup (p<0.0001). Patients <25 and >40 years of age in PF group and <40 or >65 in AF group had significant reduction in EQ-5D scores in comparison to the normal UK population.
Conclusion
The majority of patients returned back to sports activities following surgery. The worst prognosis lies with BC and PW acetabular fractures. Middle aged patients do better as compared to younger or elderly patients in both groups.
