title: Patterns of injury and management of children with pelvic fractures at a non-trauma center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pelvic injuries in young children are rare, and it has been difficult to establish clinical guidelines to assist providers in managing blunt pelvic trauma, especially in non-Level 1 trauma centers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to describe the relationship among clinical findings, mechanism of injury, and the radiographic resources utilized in children with pelvic fractures presenting to a non-Level 1 trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of patients with a pelvic fracture treated in two urban pediatric Level 3 emergency departments was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2001 and 2010, a total of 208 patients were identified. Avulsion/iliac wing fractures were the most common fractures (58.7%), and sports-related injuries were the most common mechanism of injury (50.0%). Children with sports-related injuries were more likely to sustain an avulsion fracture (p<0.001), less likely to have a computed tomography scan obtained in the emergency department (p<0.001), and less likely to have an associated injury (p<0.001) than other children. Children struck by a motor vehicle (p<0.001) or involved in a motor vehicle accident (p<0.001) were more likely to receive a computed tomography scan (p<0.001) and have associated head and extremity injuries (p<0.001). Mechanism of injury was associated with abnormal computed tomography scans. Nearly all patients were treated nonoperatively (98.1%) and no deaths were reported in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patterns of injury, based on mechanism of injury, have been reported to assist the assessment and management of children with minor pelvic injuries.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Services, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Henry W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Emergency Services, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Research and Sponsored Programs, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Heidi Vander
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Velden
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Surgery, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Surgery, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Surgery, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Libby
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Surgery, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D010388:Pelvis / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: computed tomography; pediatric; pelvis fracture