Lumbosacral plexopathy in pelvic trauma

We reviewed the electrophysiologic data and the etiology of lumbosacral ple xopathy in 22 consecutive patients with pelvic trauma referred for electrom yography (EMG). Most (68%) patients had sacral fractures or sacroiliac join t separation, 14% had acetabular fractures, and 9% had femoral fractures. L umbosacral plexopathy was significantly more common (P = 0.0026) among pati ents with sacral fractures (incidence of 2.03%) than among the entire popul ation of patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures (overall incidence 0 .7%). Patients with acetabular and femoral fractures may have suffered inju ry to multiple proximal nerves originating from the plexus rather than inju ry to the plexus, as confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) neurogra m in select cases. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.