Background: To determine the utility of 3D computed tomography for the preoperative planning of pelvic rim fractures assessing possible changes in fracture classification as well as in the surgical indication itself.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who had undergone surgery for complex pelvic fractures during a 15-month period. The mechanism of injury was recorded and the availability of a multi-slice spiral volumetric CT scan was requested as a preoperative study.
Results: Ten cases (58%) were pelvic rim fractures and 7 were acetabular fractures. The mean ISS was 23.82 (9-50), and 82.3% of cases were severe traumas (ISS > 16). After the CT scan was obtained, the initial classification of the fracture was changed in four cases (23.5%), without any changes in the surgical indication. An artifact was detected in the volumetric reconstruction but it did not limit the surgeon's interpretation.
Conclusion: Tridimensional CT-based modeling is very helpful in the surgical planning of pelvic fractures and is a complement of the plain X-rays.