Traumatic hemipelvectomy before body image has developed

Traumatic hemipelvectomy is rarely observed because very few patients have survived from the initial trauma, We describe one male child who survived f rom this massive trauma with a good functional outcome. The boy was 28 mont hs old when he was accidentally struck by a truck. He had severe open traum a of the pelvis and hemorrhage of the left lower limb. Amputation of the le ft hemipelvis, colostomy, cystostomy and removal of the left avulsed testic le were Ix performed. Once healing had been achieved, he was transferred to our Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and rehabilitative management was begun, including prosthetic measurement and psychologic inte rvention fur the patient and his parents. For 13 years of long-term follow- up, his prosthesis was readjusted annually. Now he is a 16-year-old middle school student. He is functioning remarkably well with a prosthesis. The ps ychologic report shows that he is emotionally stable and has good scholasti c performance. Although hemipelvectomy appears to be a radical procedure in children, the potential for rehabilitation in a group of children before b ody image has developed appears to he unexpectedly good.