ABSTRACT
Injuries to the pelvis may result in pelvic ring or acetabular fractures, or both. Fractures of the pelvis account for less than 5" of all skeletal injuries, but they are particularly important due to the potential risk of severe blood loss. Like other serious injuries, they demand a combined approach by experts in various fields. The majority of severe pelvic injuries occur in road traffic accidents where there is a high velocity of injury; over 10" of these patients will have associated visceral injuries, and in this group the mortality rate is in excess of 10". The pelvic ring is made up of the two innominate bones and the sacrum, articulating in front at the symphysis pubis and posteriorly at the sacroiliac joints. A fracture of the pelvis is suspected in any multiply injured patient. Nowadays, the application of a pelvic binder at the scene of the accident is mandatory in any suspected pelvic injury.
