Laparoscopic treatment of fourteen cases of pelvic ring disruption: a case series

Open surgical approaches for the treatment of anterior pelvic arc lesions are associated with several complications. We present the first retrospective descriptive case series on the use of laparoscopy as an alternative.

This descriptive, retrospective, single-centre study enrolled all patients who underwent laparoscopy for the treatment of pelvic ring disruption between May 2020 and March 2022. The primary outcome was the procedure failure rate based on conversion to open surgery.

Secondary outcomes were the duration of the surgical procedure, x-ray exposure, length of hospitalisation, postoperative pain assessment, and functional scores at the last follow-up.

The study included two females and 12 males. The mean age of the study participants was 44.2 (23–67) years. In total, nine (64.3%) patients had pubic symphysis disjunction, four (28.6%) had bilateral fractures of the obturator frames, and one (7%) had both. None of the patients required conversion to open surgery. The median operating times for symphysis pubis disruption, obturator frame fracture, and patients with both injuries were 90.0 (60–120), 135 (105–180), and 240 min, respectively. The median overall operating time was 102.5 (60–240) min. The median Iowa Pelvic Score and Majeed Functional Score at the last follow-up were 87 (70–99) and 84 (70–100), respectively.

Laparoscopic internal fixation is a reliable treatment for pelvic ring disruption. The clinical and radiological outcomes of our patients suggest the usefulness of this technique as an alternative to open approaches.