Extremities and Pelvic Injuries

The common types of Extremities and Pelvic Injuries are mangled limbs, bone fractures and damaged blood vessels.

Mangled limbs are caused by a crush impact from a heavy object, which leads to severe injuries to the skin, blood vessels, nerves and bones of the limbs.

A bone fracture refers to the broken bone of the limbs. Fractures can be closed or open in which there is an open wound at the site of the fracture. Pelvic fractures can also occur with separation of the pubic bones (pubis symphysis diastasis), which causes pelvic deformity.

There are two types of damaged blood vessels:

• Laceration or incomplete tear of the vessel
• Transection or complete tear of the vessel, which can cause massive bleeding

They are normally diagnosed through:

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
• Computed Tomography (CT) Angiogram

Treatment options include:

• Manipulation and reduction is a non-surgical procedure to repair fractured bones by aligning the bones back in place.
• Internal fixation is an operation to repair fractured bones by using screws, rods and plates to join the bones back in place and stabilise the bones.
• Wound debridement and repair of structures is an operation to remove dead tissues from the wound to promote healing, and repair any damaged structures such as blood vessels by ligation.
• Amputation is required if the mangled limbs are too severe and unsalvageable.