IS THERE A CLASSIFICATION OF PELVIC RING DISRUPTIONS AVAILABLE DEPENDING ON MECHANISM OF INJURY, MORPHOLOGY AND STABILITY AND GIVING A GUIDE FOR TREATMENT

In contrast to earlier classifications, Tile's classification of pelvi c ring disruptions considers mechanism of injury, clinical and x-ray e valuations and is therefore almost universally accepted. We propose a more comprehensive classification which gives a guide for treatment of these complex injuries. Moreover it can be used to compare results fr om different authors. We classify types A-D pelvic injuries according to stability. Type A consists of fractures of the pelvis not involving the ring, type B of stable rotational injuries. Type C and D encompas s the unstable injuries: C is purely rotational and D has a combined r otational and vertical instability. The location of injury is indicate d by adding numbers 1-9 (1: rupture of symphysis pubis; 2: transpubic fracture; 3: acetabular fracture; 4: iliac wing fracture; 5: sacroilia c fracture-dislocation; 6: sacroiliac disruption; 7: sacral wing fract ure; 8: transforaminal sacral fracture; 9: central sacral fracture). T hese numbers are arranged in increasing order, one hemipelvis after th e other. Thus, in case of a complex pelvic injury with rotational inst ability on one side and vertical instability on the other each hemipel vis may be classified separately.