CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH 2 TYPES OF PELVIC C-CLAMPS FOR UNSTABLE PELVIC RING INJURIES

The emergency stabilization of unstable pelvic injuries, in particular , injuries to the posterior pelvic ring, can be achieved following red uction by application of the pelvic C-clamp. This and other procedures contribute to controlling what is almost always a life-threatening bl ood loss. The pelvic C-clamp is a temporary measure preceding definiti ve treatment of the injury. If this procedure is to have an optimal an d lasting effect, the clamp must be applied correctly, provide adequat e compression and stability, and be easy to handle. In one year, we ap plied the AO and ACE pelvic clamps in 9 clinical cases. Satisfactory p rimary compression and stability were achieved for unstable injuries w ith both clamps. It was more difficult to achieve good rotational stab ility as required for subsequent treatment with the ACE clamp due to i ts construction design.