Plain Radiographic Patterns of Pelvic Fractures in Public Hospitals in South West Nigeria

Aim and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the various pelvic fracture types seen in Lagos and its environs, with their accompanying lesions, and compare them to previous works done in literature.

Study Design: Prospective, Cross Sectional, Descriptive Study.

Place and Duration of Study: Lagos State Accident and Emergency Services hospitals. {LASEMS}, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and National Orthopaedics Hospital, Igbobi (NOH), Nigeria.

Duration: January to December 2009.

Materials and Methods: Study was carried out in the Radiology departments of three public hospital in South west Nigeria from January to December 2009.

Methodology: Ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics committee of the Lagos State Health Service Commission. The x-rays of one hundred consecutive patients admitted in three tertiary hospitals in Lagos metropolis, diagnosed as traumatic pelvic injuries were documented, analyzed and reported. Statistical analysis was done using Epi Info Version 6 Statistical Software on an IBM- Compatible computer

Results: Out of the One hundred (100) patients recruited, the age ranged from 6 to 69 years with a mean of 31.5 +2 SD years. Females were slightly more than males, with a M: F ratio of 1.04:1.00. Generally, various types of pelvic ring fractures were seen and they included, Lateral compression fracture (LCF) 45.22%, Anterioposterior compression fracture (APCF) 26.96%, Vertical shear fracture (VSF) 13.04%, Combined / Complex fracture (CCF) 11.30%, and Avulsion fracture (AF) 3.48% in that order.

The acetabular fractures that also occurred included; Central / Combined 38.4%, equal Anterior and Posterior columns 23.1% each and Transverse Acetabular fracture 15.4%.

The appreciable concomitant lesions found in the patients were: soft tissue clinical complications; vascular (28), urogenital (23), neurological (18), infective (6), skeletal (42), degenerative (3) and morphological / structural (11).

Conclusion: In a limited resource country like Nigeria, with limited availability of high end functional imaging facilities, plain radiography as diagnostic imaging tool produced favorably comparable results as found by previous workers in classifying pelvic ring fractures. Its utilization afforded clinically valuable results sparing the patients additional radiation, exorbitant costs and contributed immensely to the early and prompt diagnoses of these fractures.