Abstract
During the gestational period, the body undergoes a normal physiologic widening of the pubic symphysis in preparation for childbirth. Although exceedingly rare, despite increased laxity, the pelvic ring remains at risk of serious injury during delivery. The current body of literature on this topic includes only a few case reports without clear guidance on the acute management of non-physiologic pubic symphysis widening and pelvic ring injuries following childbirth. The authors present a case of a 31-year-old pregnant woman (G2P0101) who sustained an APC2 (OTA B2.3) pelvic ring injury during vaginal delivery requiring open reduction and internal fixation for failure to mobilize with nonoperative management. She was able to ambulate on postoperative day (POD) one with physical therapy and was discharged home on POD two with resolved pain. This case illustrates the benefits of early surgical stabilization for an unstable pelvic ring injury related to trauma from childbirth.
Recommended Citation
Chavez, Tyler J.; Taylor P. Gurnea; Hernan Lebensohn; Johnathan P. Jensen; and Samer Kakish. "Pelvic Ring Injury Secondary to Traumatic Vaginal Delivery: A Case for Early Surgical Fixation." Western Journal of Orthopaedics 12, 1 (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wjo/vol12/iss1/7