Abstract
The outcome of surgery depends on the fracture type, method of management and associated injuries; the patient's age and bone quality also play a role. Risk factors for the development of complications include markedly displaced and unstable pelvic ring fractures, open fractures, complex pelvic injury and associated injuries which do not allow for immediate definitive fracture stabilisation.
Not every poor outcome is due to a complication per se or, the other way round, is exclusively related to the type of fracture. Many long-term sequelae arise from complex injuries.
Because the anatomy of the pelvis is very complex, pelvic fractures are often associated with injury to the nerve structures and their management by reduction and fixation is difficult. The characterisation and evaluation of complications associated with the management of pelvic ring fractures is problematic because it is difficult to distinguish which of them have been caused by pelvic ring fracture and associated injuries and which are due to surgical treatment.
Although most complications arise from injury, the increasing role of surgery in their treatment leads to a higher rate of iatrogenic complications most frequently resulting from an improper surgical technique, including fracture reduction and/or fixation.