MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH BILATERAL ACETABULAR FRACTURES

Purpose: Acetabular fractures are among the most complex of all orthopedic injuries. Surgeons who treat these injuries are aware of the associated morbidity and mortality related to acetabular fractures. There is much literature involving these injuries, but there is little research outside of case reports on unusual injury patterns involving the acetabulum. The bilateral acetabular fracture is one of these rare entities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the demographics, fracture patterns, survival, and related injuries in patients with this unusual fracture pattern. Methods: Prospectively collected data from February 2004 to May 2010 on bilateral acetabular fractures will be retrospectively evaluated. This data was collected from two trauma hospitals: John Peter Smith Hospital and Atlanta Regional Medical Center. Data from each medical center regarding morbidity including ISS scores, spine injuries, visceral injuries, pelvic vascular injuries, extremity fractures/injuries, shock, pneumonia, sepsis and mortality was gathered for analysis Results: There was a total of thirty patients that met inclusion criteria for this retrospective study. The average age of the patient was 39 years of age. The average ISS score was 21.12 with a mortality rate of 11 %. Patients were found to have visceral injuries involving the chest 15.7%, abdominal visceral 39.2%, and genitourinary 9.8%. Associated spine injuries were found in 45.1% of the patients. Upper and lower extremity injuries occurred in 35.3% and 43.1% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: - Bilateral Acetabular fractures are rare injuries that were found in this study to present with many associated injuries. To our knowledge, this is the largest series of its kind. The findings from this study could be used by orthopedists and traumatologists to better appreciate and evaluate patients with this unusual fracture pattern