Epidemiology of pelvic and acetabular fractures in a tertiary hospital in Singapore

Abstract

Introduction: Pelvic and acetabular fractures (PAFs) usually result from high-energy, potentially life-threatening accidents. They are one of the major injuries that lead to death in patients involved in such accidents. We studied the recent epidemiology of these injuries in Singapore. Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of all trauma patients who underwent surgery for PAFs from 2008 to 2016 in a tertiary trauma centre in Singapore. Data including patient demographics, mechanism of injury and associated injuries was collected. Results: A total of 169 patients were admitted for PAFs over the eight-year period. The majority (79.3%) were male. The mean age was 41 (range 13-79) years. Most patients (51.5%) were Chinese. The most common mechanisms of injury were road traffic accidents (53.8%), falls (33.1%) and crush injuries (13.0%). 46.2% sustained acetabular fractures, while 44.4% sustained pelvic fractures. PAFs were most commonly associated with upper and lower limb injuries, followed by spinal and thoracic injuries. Average of length of stay in hospital was 24 (range 2-375) days. Conclusion: PAF predominantly affects young working males. Compared to previously published local data, there has been a significant reduction in the incidence of PAFs, likely due to improved road and work safety. The demographics of PAFs have changed, with fewer injuries in females (20.7% vs. 33.3%), a reduction in the proportion of injuries in the Chinese (51.5% vs. 70.1%). While road traffic accidents remain the most common cause, crush injuries are now more prevalent (13.0%).