About this topic
The pelvis is a group of bones at the base of the spine. They circle from your low back to your front pubic bone. Tough bands of tissue and strong muscles help support these bones. The pelvis bones are important. They hold all the weight of the upper body and help the legs with standing and walking. The pelvic bones also protect important organs, nerves, and blood vessels. ‚
When one or more of the pelvic bones are broken you have a pelvic fracture. Treatment will depend on where and how bad the injury is. For a minor fracture, you may be treated with bedrest and drugs to help with pain. You may need crutches or a walker to keep pressure off the pelvis. Very bad fractures may be treated with surgery. You may need pins, screws, and plates to hold the pelvic bones together. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Avoid putting any pressure on your injured bone.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- If you had surgery, talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You may need an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI test to make sure your bone is fully healed.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- You may need to see a physical therapist. This will help you regain strength and keep good motion in your hips.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
- Prevent blood clots
- Prevent hard stools
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you run, work out, or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. It may take 8 to 12 weeks for the fractured pelvic bone to heal. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Damage to the nerves and blood vessels
- Bleeding
- Decreased movements
- Sexual dysfunction
- Urinary or bowel problems
- Blood clots
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Prevent falls by not standing on chairs or other unstable things. Remove throw rugs and electric cords from floor areas where you may trip.
- Keep a healthy diet to keep your bones healthy. Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.
- Stay active and work out to build strong muscles and bones.
- Wear seatbelts when driving or riding in a car.
- Wear proper padding and safety gear when playing sports or any similar activities.
- If you have osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about the drugs you may need to take.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, and wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling gets worse
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my fracture.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00223 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚