The role of anterior supra-acetabular external fixator as definitive treatment for anterior ring fixation in unstable pelvic fractures.

Purpose: Management of anterior ring injuries is still a matter of discussion, and there are only few studies reporting anterior external fixator as definitive treatment for unstable pelvic injuries. This study aimed to describe the clinical and radiological outcomes of a consecutive series of mechanically unstable pelvic injuries that were treated with definitive anterior supra-acetabular external fixator for the anterior ring, and to identify risk factors for failure.

Methods: We included a consecutive series of patients with unstable pelvic ring fractures who underwent anterior supra-acetabular external fixation for definitive treatment, between January 2012 and January 2020.