History of pelvic fracture management: a review

Abstract

High-energy pelvic fractures represent potentially life-threatening injuries due to the risk of acute exsanguinating retroperitoneal hemorrhage. The first report of a severe pelvic ring disruption dates back to Charles Hewitt Moore’s seminal publication from 1851. Significant advantages in the understanding of injury mechanisms and treatment concepts of pelvic ring injuries evolved in the 20th century, and provided the basis to current classification-guided treatment and life-saving “damage control” concepts. However, there is a paucity of reports in the current literature focused on the historic background on the treatment of pelvic ring injuries. The present review was designed to summarize the history and evolution of our current understanding of the mechanisms and management strategies for severe pelvic ring injuries (excluding acetabular fractures which represent a different entity outside of the scope of this article).