Vertical pelvic ring displacement in pelvic ring injury: Measurements in pelvic outlet radiograph and in cadavers

Background:Vertical pelvic ring displacement (VPRD) is a serious injury and needs assessment. Pelvic outlet radiographs are routinely taken. However, relationship of radiographic and actual VPRD is still in question. Thus, measurement of VPRD from pelvic radiographs was studied.Results:Radiographic VPRD from outlet and anteroposterior pelvic views at 10 mm actual displacement were 20.12 ± 1.98 and 4.08 ± 3.76 mm, at 20 mm were 40.31 ± 1.97 and 9.94 ± 7.27 mm and at 30 mm were 58.56 ± 2.53 and 11.29 ± 2.89 mm. Statistical analyses showed that radiographic VPRD from pelvic outlet view is 1.95 times of actual displacement with strong correlation at 0.992 coefficient and strongly significant regression analysis (P < 0.001) with 0.984 of R² value. Whereas, the measurement from anteroposterior pelvic radiograph was not strongly significant.Conclusion:Pelvic outlet radiograph provides efficient measurement of VPRD with 2 times of actual displacement.     

Emergent pelvic fixation in patients with exsanguinating pelvic fractures

BACKGROUND: An alternative to embolization or external pelvic fixation (EPF) in patients with multiple pelvic fractures and hemorrhage is a pelvic orthotic device (POD), which may easily be placed in the resuscitation area. Little published information is available about its effectiveness. This study evaluated the efficacy of the POD compared with EPF in patients with life-threatening pelvic fractures. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated patients with blunt pelvic fractures over a 10-year period. Inclusion required multiple pelvic fractures with vascular disruption and severe retroperitoneal hematoma, open book fracture with symphysis diastasis, or sacroiliac disruption with vertical shear. Patients with EPF were compared with those in whom a POD was used. Outcomes included transfusions, hospital stay, and mortality. RESULTS: There were 3,359 patients with pelvic fractures who were admitted: 186 (6%) met entry criteria; 93 had EPF and 93 had POD. There were no differences in age or shock severity. Both 24-hour (4.9 versus 17.1 U, p < 0.0001) and 48-hour transfusions (6.0 versus 18.6 U, p < 0.0001) were reduced with POD. Twenty-three percent of each group underwent pelvic angiography, and 24-hour transfusion amounts for those patients were also reduced with POD (9.9 versus 21.5 U, p < 0.007). Hospital length of stay (16.5 versus 24.4 days, p < 0.03) was less with POD. Although there was decreased mortality with POD (26%) versus EPF (37%), it was not statistically significant (p=0.11). CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic shift to POD has substantially reduced transfusion requirements and length of hospital stay, and has reduced mortality in patients with unstable pelvic fractures. POD has made a major contribution to the care of critically injured patients with the most severe pelvic fractures.     

Hyperthermic pelvic isolation-perfusion in the treatment of refractory pelvic cancer

Hyperthermic isolation-perfusion (I-P) was used to treat 27 patients with refractory pelvic cancer. All patients except one achieved pelvic isolation as manifested by selective pelvic heating and by pharmacologic monitoring. Patient response was good, with rapid pain relief in 75% and tumor control as detected by physical examination, computed tomographic scan, and decline in carcinoembryonic antigen levels. Pelvic drug exposure averaged 7.8 times that of systemic drug exposure. Of the 20 patients with recurrent rectal adenocarcinoma, one complete response (duration, eight months), seven partial responses (average duration, greater than or equal to 10 months), four patients with stable disease (average duration, greater than or equal to 12 months), and five with disease progression were observed. Three patients could not be evaluated due to late deaths as a consequence of their disease. There were two postoperative deaths in the remaining seven patients, one due to drug toxicity and one due to probable cardiac arrhythmia. Pelvic I-P has evolved with the avoidance of laparotomy and increased drug dose. We conclude that hyperthermic I-P for pelvic cancer is a safe, effective procedure and an excellent therapeutic option for patients with persistent pelvic cancer.     

Three-dimensional analysis of pelvic volume in an unstable pelvic fracture

BACKGROUND: A model was developed to predict changes in pelvic volume associated with increasing pubic diastasis in unstable pelvic fractures. METHODS: Intact and postfracture pelvic volumes were calculated in 10 cadavers using computerized axial tomography (CT). The true pelvis was assumed to be either a sphere, a cylinder, or a hemi-elliptical sphere. Using the appropriate equations for calculating the volume of each of these shapes, pelvic volume was predicted and then compared with the measured values. RESULTS: The observed volume changes associated with increasing pubic diastasis were much smaller than previously reported. The mean difference between the measured and predicted volume was 20.0 +/- 9.9% for the sphere, 10.7 +/- 6.5% for the cylinder, and 4.5 +/- 5.9% for the hemi-elliptical sphere. The differences between these means were statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This data suggests that the hemi-elliptical sphere best describes the geometric shape of the true pelvis and better predicts quantitative changes in pelvic volume relative to an increasing pubic diastasis as the radius has little effect on the change in volume. Due to the small changes in volume observed with increasing diastasis, factors other than the absolute change in volume must account for the clinically observed effects of emergent pelvic stabilization.     

Total pelvic exenteration in the treatment of advanced pelvic cancer

Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) is a radical and aggressive procedure performed in the local advanced pelvic cancer started from any pelvic organ. The experience of 73 TPE performed for local invasive cancer and centro-pelvic recurrences with initial malignancy at the cervix (45 cases), rectum (19 cases), vagina (5 cases), endometrial (3 cases) and urinary bladder (1 case), in 61 females and 12 males with age range 27-78 years, are analysed. The procedures were performed for advanced pelvic cancer in 24 cases and also for invasive centro-pelvic recurrences in 49 cases (67.5%). In 5 cases, TPE was extended laterally. In 42 patients reconstructive procedures were added. All patients survived to surgery but 5 postoperative deaths (6.8%) were recorded. Complications occurred in 52% of cases, 38 from 73 patients had one or more than one complication with an average of 1.5 per patient. 22 among these patients (30%) requiring operative treatment. The average survival was 49.07 months, the median survival of 55 months and the estimated survival at 11 and 78 months was 66%, respectively 50%. The procedure is indicated in the absence of pelvic wall invasion and secondary distant dissemination and lengthens significantly the life span and increase the quality of life.     

CT in pelvic trauma

The use of computed tomography is extremely important in the care of patients with pelvic trauma. We believe that it should be performed on all patients with severe pelvic injury. It depicts the pelvic anatomy in exquisite detail, enabling one to plan therapy on the basis of pathologic anatomy rather than the presumed mechanism of injury. CT is more expensive than tomography but gives considerably more information at a lower radiation dose. It is also of considerable value in postoperative follow-up for determination of the adequacy of reduction and fracture healing.     

Total pelvic clearance for advanced pelvic malignancy

Objective:  Advanced pelvic tumours require multidisciplinary care to improve outcome. This is an audit of one specialist unit's experience.
Method:  Consecutive patients referred from 2001 to 2005 for consideration of pelvic clearance were evaluated by retrospective review.
Results:  Of 100 patients assessed, 55 were considered unsuitable for surgery. Exclusions included unresectable pelvic side-wall disease (25), widespread disease (23) and severe co-morbidity (7). Forty-five patients were operated on; 22 had locally advanced disease, 14 had recurrence and nine had residual disease following previous surgery. The primary cancers were colorectal in 24, gynaecological in 10 and urogenital in 10; one patient had non-neoplastic disease. Preoperatively 39 (87%) had examination under anaesthetic (87%) and all had MR and CT imaging. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy was given in 27 and 18 patients respectively. Following resection by a multi-speciality team, surgery was considered curative in 40 (90%) of cases as judged by a histologically negative margin. All patients received level 2 care postoperatively with only two requiring level 3 care. There was no 30-day mortality but there were 17 complications treated conservatively and five that required surgery.
Conclusion:  Advanced pelvic tumours require careful multidisciplinary assessment and treatment. This study shows that this can be performed safely with high levels of histological clearance of tumour.     

Relative pelvic version: an individualized pelvic incidence-based proportional parameter that quantifies pelvic version more precisely than pelvic tilt

Background Context

Pelvic tilt (PT) is used as an indicator of pelvic version with increased values indicating retroversion and disability. The concept of using PT solely as an absolute numerical value can be misleading, especially for the patients with pelvic incidence (PI) values near the upper and lower normal limits. Relative pelvic version (RPV) is a PI-based individualized measure of the pelvic version. Relative pelvic version indicates the individualized spatial orientation of the pelvis relative to the ideal sacral slope as defined by the magnitude of PI.

Interethnic variation in pelvic floor morphology in women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse

Introduction and hypothesis

There is a lack of epidemiological studies evaluating female pelvic organ prolapse in developing countries. Current studies have largely focused on women of white ethnicity. This study was designed to determine interethnic variation in pelvic floor functional anatomy, namely, levator hiatal distensibility and pelvic organ descent, in women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse in a multi-ethnic South African population.

Methods

This prospective observational study included 258 consecutive women referred for pelvic organ prolapse assessment and management at a tertiary urogynaecological clinic. After a detailed history and clinical examination, including POPQ assessment, patients underwent a 4D transperineal ultrasound. Offline analysis was performed using 4D View software. Main outcome measures included levator muscle distensibility, pelvic organ descent, and levator ani defects (avulsion).

Results

Mean age was 60.6 (range, 25–91) years, mean BMI 29.83 (range, 18–53). Points Ba and C were lower and the genital hiatus more distensible in black women (all p < 0.05). They were found to have greater hiatal area (p = 0.017 at rest, p = 0.006 on Valsalva) compared with South Asians and whites and showed greater pelvic organ mobility (all p < 0.05) than Caucasians on ultrasound. Levator defects were found in 32.2% (n = 83) of patients and most were bilateral (48.2%, n = 40), with significant interethnic differences (p = 0.014).

Conclusion

There was significant variation in clinical prolapse stage, levator distensibility, and pelvic organ descent in this racially diverse population presenting with pelvic organ prolapse, with South Asians having a lower avulsion rate than the other two ethnic groups (p = 0.014).

     

早期腹膜外骨盆填塞联合外固定支架治疗血流动力不稳定骨盆骨折

目的 探讨早期运用腹膜外骨盆填塞术联合骨盆外固定支架治疗血流动力不稳定骨盆骨折的临床疗效.方法 2004年12月至2009年12月,运用早期腹膜外骨盆填塞术联合骨盆外固定支架固定治疗15例血流动力不稳定骨盆骨折患者,男6例,女9例;年龄38～56岁,平均（44.0±1.2）岁.骨折根据Tile分型：B1型3例,B2-2型2例;C1-1型1例,C1-2型2例,C1-3型2例,C2型3例,C3型2例.15例患者均伴有低血容量性休克,且均采取急诊骨盆外固定支架固定与腹膜外骨盆填塞术.结果 15例患者术后的红细胞输注单位数与术前相比显著减少,血红蛋白、红细胞压积及收缩压与术前相比显著升高,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;脉率与术前相比差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）.手术时间为30～40 min,平均（32.0±2.6）min.5例患者术后死亡,死亡时间为术后1～7 d,平均（72.0±4.2）h.在收缩压、脉率、血红蛋白、损伤严重程度评分、红细胞压积、红细胞输注单位数等方面,死亡患者与存活患者相比差异均无统计学意义（P〉0.05）.但在年龄和受伤至手术时间方面差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）.结论 对于血流动力不稳定骨盆骨折患者,尤其是伴有低血容量性休克者,急诊行腹膜外骨盆填塞术联合骨盆外固定支架固定可以有效控制骨折端与骶前静脉丛的广泛渗血,明显改善患者的血流动力学参数,并可显著降低患者的死亡率.     

Management of complex pelvic floor disorders in a multidisciplinary pelvic floor clinic

Objective To identify symptom clusters, management strategies and survey patient satisfaction in our combined multidisciplinary pelvic floor clinic (PFC). Method Retrospective cohort study, patient satisfaction questionnaire. Sample: Secondary and tertiary referrals with complex pelvic floor disorders. Main outcome measures: symptom clusters and treatment received; patient satisfaction. Results A total of 113 new cases over a 3‐year period. There were two main symptom clusters: (i) obstructed defaecation with rectoceles (n = 55); of these, 23 had abdominal sacrocolpopexy with rectopexy, six had transvaginal rectocele repairs; and (ii) of the 33 with double incontinence, 10 had anal sphincter repairs, five had tension‐free vaginal tapes and two had colposuspensions. Patient satisfaction audit: 73% found the care to be excellent/good, 12% satisfactory and 6% unsatisfactory. Conclusion Combined PFCs led to a more pragmatic approach in treating patients’ symptoms. Combined surgery was undertaken in one‐fourth of patients and is associated with cost savings and a single recuperation period. Overall, patients rated this service very highly.