A fractured pubic bone feels like severe groin, hip, or lower back pain, intensely worsened by walking, standing, or moving your legs, often accompanied by swelling, bruising, tenderness, and sometimes numbness/tingling in the legs, making weight-bearing very difficult or impossible. It can also affect bladder/bowel function and feel sharp, even at rest, though pain typically spikes with activity.
The symptoms of a pelvic fracture depend on how mild or severe it is. Pelvic fracture signs and symptoms can include: Experiencing pain in your groin, hip and/or lower back. Experiencing more intense pain when walking or moving your legs.
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.
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].
The pubic rami are a group of bones that make up part of the pelvis. A pubic ramus fracture is a break in one of these bones. These fractures do not need an operation and will heal with time, analgesia and therapy. They often take about 6-8 weeks to heal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A sacral stress fracture is a hairline crack in the pelvic bone. This type of fracture is relatively uncommon but is usually caused by repetitive stress rather than a single accident. It usually affects the bottom of the pelvis, but can affect the front joint between the two pelvic bones.
A stress fracture of the pubic ramus causes pain in the groin. This pain is usually in a specific point in the groin (the site of the fracture) and often gradually worsens over a period of weeks. At first your pain may have only been present following activity or exercise.
Walking on a hairline fracture is generally not recommended as it can delay healing and exacerbate the injury. Resting and avoiding weight-bearing activities on the affected bone are crucial until it has sufficiently healed.
How Long Do You Stay in the Hospital With a Fractured Pelvis? You may stay in the hospital for several weeks after a pelvic fracture, depending on the severity of your painful injury. Severe fractures or pelvic ring injuries that need surgical fixation often require more extended hospitalization.
Stress fractures of the pubic ramus are rare and usually occur in the medial portion or at the junction between the inferior pubic ramus and the ischium(1). Its etiology is not very well delineated, but many factors (both extrinsic and intrinsic) are of importance in the evolution of bone injuries under stress(2).
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.
The hyoid bone fracture is a very rare fracture of the hyoid bone, accounting for 0.002% of all fractures in humans.
Treatment For Hairline Fractures
This typically involves: Rest/Activity Avoidance – Stay away from high-impact activities and exercise for a short while so that you can avoid stressing the area while healing is taking place.
The main symptom of a pelvic fracture is pain in the groin, hip or lower back, which may get worse when walking or moving the legs. Other symptoms may include: Abdominal pain. Numbness or tingling in the groin or legs.
Pelvic insufficiency fractures can go undetected for months because they're often not visible on X-rays. While they can heal on their own, they cause persistent pain in the low back, groin, and buttocks, along with decreased mobility.
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.
Stable Pelvic Fractures: Have single point breakage in the pelvis ring and broken bones remain in position; shows less bleeding. Unstable Pelvic Fractures: Have breakage at two or more points, followed by severe bleeding.
Taking analgesic or pain-relieving medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen, as recommended. Performing stretching exercises, such as Kegel exercises to help improve pelvic stability and alleviate stiffness in that area. Refraining from standing for too long. Temporarily avoiding wearing high heels.
Tips for Sitting Comfortably with a Fractured Pelvis
Use a cushion: Sitting on a cushion can help relieve pressure on the pelvic bones and make sitting more comfortable. Look for a cushion that is made of a soft, supportive material and has a cut-out design to reduce pressure on the coccyx.