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Dr. Mullis explains if pelvic fractures are a fatal diagnosis.
Dr. Mullis:
It can be, either from the fracture itself or because of injuries associated with the fracture. For example, pelvis fractures, such as from high-speed car accidents, are common if you get hit from the side, and although one of the pelvis fractures that doesn’t necessarily cause you to bleed as much, where the pelvis closes in on itself, has one of the higher associations with death, or mortality, not because of the pelvis fracture itself, but probably because the patient’s head also may get hit, and so the neck may be broken or there may be a fatal head injury.
So, there’s two answers to your question. The first is, it’s a high-energy injury and so another injury, other than the pelvis fracture, may kill you or hurt you. The pelvis fracture itself can also cause death because of bleeding associated with it. It’s very common to have bleeding or other injuries with a pelvis fracture and if that’s not recognized early, then it can have very devastating consequences.
About Dr. Mullis, M.D.:
Dr. Brian Mullis, M.D., is the Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma Service and Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. He has a special clinical interest in orthopaedic trauma and post-traumatic complications with a focus on pelvis and acetabulum fractures, peri-articular fractures of both upper and lower extremity, bone healing, nonunions, malunions, deformity and post-traumatic infections.
Visit Dr. Mullis at Indiana University School of Medicine