Evaluation of pelvic fractures by radiographical and multi-detector computed tomography following the 2011 Van earthquake in Turkey

Pelvic fracture and is frequently encountered in the setting of a multi-trauma patient is a major and serious trauma with potentially life-threatening consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographical and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images of 47 patients injured during the 2011 earthquake in the city of Van, and to define the characteristics of earthquake-related pelvic fractures. Study data were analyzed according to the anatomic localizations of pelvic fractures and classified based on the Tile classification of pelvic ring fractures. The pubic bone was determined as the most frequent localization of pelvic fractures. Type C fractures and Type C2 sub-types were more frequently observed than the other types according to the Tile classification system. Keywords: earthquake, pelvic trauma, computed tomography