Retrospective Analysis of Pelvic Fractures Managed in the Emergency Department

Authors : Ayhan Tabur, Alper Tabur

Pages : 1-9

Doi:10.55994/ejcc.1783663

View : 41 | Download : 120

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Background: Pelvic fractures occur as a result of high-energy trauma in young adults and as a result of fragile falls in older individuals. Understanding the age and sex-specific patterns, context, and causality of emergency department presentations can inform targeted prevention strategies and service planning. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 1,324 patients presenting to the emergency department with pelvic fractures (ICD-10 codes S32 and T02.1) at a tertiary care center in southeastern Türkiye between April 29, 2017, and April 29, 2022. Demographic characteristics, diagnostic categories, service distribution, and length of hospital stay (LOS) were analyzed. Group differences were assessed using the Pearson χ² test with Cramér’s V and the Mann–Whitney U test with Cliff’s δ, with a two-sided significance level of α = 0.05. Results: Among the study cohort, females accounted for 55.4% (734 of 1,324), a proportion significantly higher than the expected 50% (binomial p < 0.001). The median age was 40 years [IQR: 26–53] in females and 33 years [IQR: 25–47] in males (U = 188,543, p < 0.001). Age group distributions differed significantly by sex (χ²(7) = 30.43, p < 0.001; Cramér’s V = 0.15). Diagnostic profiles also varied by sex across the eight most frequent categories (χ² = 125.47, p < 0.001; V = 0.31), with closed coccyx fractures being the most common overall, highlighting the contribution of low-energy mechanisms. Age differed significantly across provision types (Kruskal–Wallis H = 75.20, p < 0.001). Length of stay was highly zero-inflated, with a median of 0 days in both sexes; however, males had marginally longer hospitalizations (U = 222,006, p = 0.026; δ = 0.03) and a higher proportion of admissions ≥1 day (5.8% vs 3.3%; χ² = 4.28, p = 0.039). Annual case counts were uneven (χ² goodness-of-fit = 230.49, p < 0.001), with a marked decline observed in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: The epidemiology of pelvic fractures demonstrates distinct age- and sex-specific patterns, characterized by a predominance of low-energy fractures in older women and higher-energy injuries in younger men. Preventive strategies should therefore address both osteoporosis and fragility-related falls in the elderly as well as mechanisms of high-energy trauma in younger populations. Furthermore, the observed reduction in caseloads during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for adaptable trauma care planning that can respond effectively to external disruptions.
Keywords : Pelvik Kırıklar, Pelvik Travma, Epidemiyoloji, Acil Tıp, COVID-19

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