A pelvic fracture is extremely painful, causing sharp, severe pain in the groin, hip, or lower back, making it difficult or impossible to walk, stand, or bear weight, even though pain at rest might be tolerable. Pain worsens with movement, and swelling, bruising, numbness, or bladder/bowel issues can also occur, depending on the fracture's severity and location.
Pelvis. A fracture in the pelvis can be life-threatening, just like hip fractures. The pelvis connects the spine to the hips. The kidneys, intestines, bladder, and genitals are within the pelvic ring.
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.
Pelvic fractures usually start to heal about four weeks after the fracture. Some patients may notice less pain as soon as a few days after a fracture, depending on the severity of the fracture, but most patients take pain medication for four to six weeks after the injury.
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.
Pelvic rings often break in more than one place. A mild fracture (such as may happen from the impact of jogging) may heal in several weeks without surgery. However, a serious pelvic fracture can be life-threatening and may involve damage to the organs the pelvis protects.
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.
However, if you have a mild pelvic fracture, you must limit the amount of pressure you put on your pelvis and legs and get enough rest so your fracture can heal properly. It's important to see your healthcare provider as soon as possible even if you think you have a mild pelvic fracture.
There is no single fastest way to heal a broken pelvis, as the recovery process can vary depending on the severity of the injury, the age and overall health of the individual, and the type of treatment received.
Arthritis. 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.
Your pelvis is the large, complicated ring of bone that connects your legs and your backbone. It's actually made of several different bones held together by ligaments. Any of the bones in your pelvis can break. All broken bones are considered fractures.
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.
Symptoms of a fracture that is not healing normally include tenderness, swelling, and an aching pain that may be felt deep within the affected bone. Often, the bone isn't strong enough to bear weight, and you may not be able to use the affected body part until the bone heals.
In most cases, these are fixed with plates and screws. A combination of large and small incisions are used to fix these injuries. Surgery usually takes 1 to 3 hours. Most patients stay in the hospital for several days after surgery.
The hardest fractures to recover from often involve the femur (thigh bone) due to its size, strength, and weight-bearing role, leading to long rehab; the scaphoid (wrist bone) because of poor blood supply and joint location; and complex comminuted fractures (bone shattered in multiple places) from severe trauma, requiring extensive surgery and potentially a year or more for healing. Fractures to weight-bearing bones like the tibia (shin bone) are also challenging, as are open fractures where the bone breaks the skin, increasing infection risk.
A force between 2,000 and 10,000 newtons is required to disrupt an adult pelvic ring [1]. Such high forces are generated in traffic accidents, crush traumas, and falls from great heights. Very often, soft tissues inside the small pelvis and around the pelvic ring are also disrupted [2].
As long as your pain is controlled by oral medicine, you can be treated at home. A broken pelvis will take about 12 weeks to heal. It can be painful to move for the first 3 to 4 weeks.
type A: stable injuries with intact posterior pelvic ring and pelvic floor. type B: complete disruptions of the anterior pelvic ring but incomplete disruption of the posterior ring. type C: rotationally and vertically unstable injuries.
Pelvic injuries are serious and may be life threatening because of the risk of damage to major arteries or internal organs. Fractures of bones in this area may cause severe internal bleeding and are associated with an increased risk for death in older adults.
Hip and pelvic fractures can be complex injuries, and NYU Langone doctors often perform surgery to reduce the fracture, stabilize the bone, and repair soft tissue structures. If a fracture severely affects the function of the hip, a surgeon may recommend replacing the injured joint with long-lasting prosthetic parts.
A raised toilet seat and toilet arm rests may be recommended to help you use the toilet. Make sure the toilet paper is within easy reach. Back up until you feel the toilet touch the back of your legs.
The bone fracture healing time typically ranges from 6 to 12 weeks for most adults. However, complete healing—including bone remodelling—can take up to 6 months or longer, depending on the type of fracture, your age, and overall health.
Most fractures of the pelvis cause considerable pain in the groin, even when people are lying down or sitting. The pain becomes much worse when people try to walk, although some can walk. The area is often swollen and bruised.
Pelvic fractures in older adults often result from low impact trauma due to weakened bones, frequently linked to osteoporosis. Treatment options for older adults range from nonsurgical methods such as mobilization, pain relief, and osteoporosis medication to surgical intervention in more severe cases.