Pelvic Fractures

This patient has left superior and inferior pubic rami fractures and a possible right sacral fracture. The important learning point in pelvic trauma is that the pelvis is a ring structure and should have two fractures if any are present.

This patient was in a motor vehicle accident. The plain film demonstrates superior and inferior left pubic rami fractures as well as a fracture just to left of the pubic symphysis.

This patient was a victim of a motorcycle accident. Seen readily are the comminuted proximal femur fracture as well as the widening of the pubic symphysis. There are right acetabular fractures as indicated by the arrows superiorly, laterally and inferiorly and all are minimally displaced. There is also a transverse process fracture of L5.

This plain film came from a patient involved in a motor vehicle accident that was complaining of hip pain. The xray demonstrates a right superior ramus fracture, two left superior rami fracture and a left inferior rami fracture. On CT, the patient was noted to have an acetabular fracture that was subsequently hemorrhaging and required IR embolization-can you determine on which side the acetabular fracture is present.