This tends to occur a little more slowly in older people, but the same cells that heal fractures when you are young do the same when you are older. We rarely use an orthosis around the pelvis. The good news is that most patients don't need any bracing or casting for a full recovery.
With a broken pelvis you cannot walk, sit or move well without pain. The pelvis protects the bladder, intestines and many important blood vessels. Many of the important leg muscles and abdominal muscles attach to the pelvis and allow for body motion and function.
While lower-energy fractures can often be managed with conservative (nonsurgical) care, treatment for high-energy pelvic fractures usually involves surgery to reconstruct the pelvis and restore stability so that patients can resume their daily activities.
Bed rest and pain medicine is the only treatment required. Stay in bed for the first 2 to 3 days to reduce pain with movement. During this time, you will need help with bathing, using the bathroom, and meals. A bedpan or bedside commode may be easier to use than getting up to use the bathroom.
Pelvic fractures are an uncommon type of fracture that can range from mild to severe. While mild pelvic fractures usually don't require surgery, severe fractures have to be fixed with surgery.
Most pelvic fractures cause considerable pain, even when people are sitting or lying down. Severe pelvic fractures can result in life-threatening bleeding and may be accompanied by serious injuries to other organs. X-rays can show most pelvic fractures, but computed tomography is usually also done.
If you break your pelvis, it can be painful and hard to move, but a broken pelvis isn't nearly as dangerous or as common as a hip fracture. The pelvis is the ring of bones that sits below your belly button and above your legs. You usually won't need surgery to fix a break unless it's a severe one.
In most cases, it's important to avoid sitting for long periods of time during the initial healing phase, which can last several weeks. Your doctor may recommend a period of bed rest or limited mobility to help the bones heal.
While your pelvis heals, you will need to keep weight off the hips. Once you are able to walk, a walker or crutches can help you get around.
The biggest long term complication of a broken pelvis is the development of arthritis. The main reason doctors operate on these fractures is that they know from past experience that if they leave the fractures in a poor position, although they will often heal, arthritis may follow within five years.
Pelvic fractures take many weeks to heal, and patients can expect to have limited mobility for at least 3 months. Full recovery will often take 6 months, and sometimes up to 12 months depending on the severity of the injury. Physiotherapy will usually be prescribed.
Pain relievers can help you feel well enough to begin physical therapy, which is a vital part of recovery from a fractured hip or pelvis. Our doctors often recommend over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen. If pain is more intense, your doctor can prescribe a stronger medication.
The late sequel of pelvic fracture treatment can cause gait and postural disturbances, chronic pain, genitourinary dysfunction, persistent neurological deficits, and rectal dysfunction.
After a hip or pelvic fracture, your doctor may advise you not to put any weight on the affected hip for six weeks or more. This allows the bone to heal. Your doctor can provide crutches, a walker, a cane, or a wheelchair to help you get around.
Avulsion fractures usually heal by themselves, with rest, over a period of 6-8 weeks. Stress fractures normally heal over 4-6 weeks with rest, although medication can speed up healing and prevent recurrence, and review of running technique by a sports physiotherapist may be helpful in preventing further injury.
Symptoms of a hip or pelvic fracture include significant, sharp pain in the hip or groin and swelling, bruising, and tenderness in the skin at the site of the injury. Depending on the severity of the fracture, a broken bone may prevent you from putting any weight on the affected hip.
The initial priority in a hemodynamically unstable patient is aggressive resuscitation and prevention of further hemorrhage. External fixation is indicated as the immediate treatment in a hemodynamically unstable patient with an unstable pelvic fracture.
You can sleep in which ever position you find most comfortable but may prefer to place a pillow in between your knees when sleeping on your side. Avoid sitting on low chairs or for prolonged periods of time. Use your hands on the arms of the chair to help gently lower yourself.
For lower extremity injuries (pelvis and legs), you can drive once you can walk smoothly with a cane (with OUT a limp). This varies by person and injury. For upper extremity injuries (arms and clavicle), this can vary but usually you may start driving by six weeks.
A pelvic splint or sling is the only treatment available for non-invasive prehospital care of a pelvis fracture. Devices are known by different names, including commercial products – PelvicBinder, T-PODResponder, SAM Pelvic Sling II, orthopedic compression device, pelvic sling and pelvic splint.
Unstable pelvic fractures typically occur as a result of high-energy injuries. Associated organ system injuries are observed commonly with pelvic fractures because of the energy imparted to the patient. Head, chest, and abdominal injuries frequently occur in association with pelvic fractures.
In people with surgical treatment, physical therapy starts after 1 or 2 days of bed rest. Physical therapy starts with non-weight bearing exercises. Only when the fracture is stable enough can weight bearing exercises be initiated. Walking aids will be necessary and must be reduced gradually.
General Treatment
If you have a more severe fracture, you will need screws and/or plates placed in your pelvis. In general, if you are treated with surgery, you will need some amount of bedrest or time in a wheelchair before you are able to walk again.
Compared with younger adults with pelvic fractures, older adults with this injury are at increased risk of long-term physical impairment and mortality. People may find that their quality of life decreases after a pelvic fracture. This is particularly true when other bone injuries develop due to pelvic fracture.
Admission of patients with pelvic fracture, especially unstable patients, represent a complex life-threatening scenario that needs integrated medical hands and necessitates early aggressive resuscitation and prompt surgical intervention.