Comparison of clinical and radiographic outcomes of bilateral versus unilateral ramus fixation in straddle fractures with posterior pelvic ring injury.

INTRODUCTION

Superior and inferior ramus fractures, termed straddle fractures, are high-energy fractures often accompanied by unstable pelvic ring injuries. However, consensus is lacking regarding indications for surgical treatment or fixation methods. We aimed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes of unilateral ramus fixation (URF) and bilateral ramus fixation (BRF) for straddle fractures with unilateral posterior pelvic ring injuries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled 118 patients (73 males, 45 females; mean age, 47 years) diagnosed with straddle fractures between March 2015 and December 2021 with > 1 year of follow-up. Patients were divided into URF (n = 60) and BRF (n = 58) groups based on the anterior pelvic ring fixation method. Preoperative factors including body mass index, diabetes, smoking, injury mechanism, injury severity score, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification system, Tile classification, and Young and Burgess classification were compared. Intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative bone union rate, complications, and the need for additional surgeries were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant preoperative differences between the two groups. However, the URF group showed a significantly lower mean operative time and blood transfusion requirement (63 min and 2 units, respectively) than the BRF group (104 min and 3 units, respectively) (both p < 0.001). Postoperatively, bone union was achieved in 57 (95.0%) and 56 (96.6%) patients in the URF and BRF groups, respectively. Complications occurred in 17 (28.3%) and 14 (24.1%) patients in the URF and BRF groups, respectively, with additional surgeries needed in 3 (5.0%) patients in the URF group and 2 (3.4%) patients in the BRF group.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral anterior fixation can provide sufficient stability and clinical effectiveness in the surgical treatment of straddle fractures in areas with posterior pelvic ring injuries. Compared with bilateral anterior fixation, unilateral fixation significantly reduces operation time and blood loss, making it a viable fixation method for straddle fractures.