[Effectiveness of simple plate and double plates in the treatment of the traumatic diastasis of pubic symphysis].

Abstract

Introduction: traumatic diastasis of the pubic symphysis (PSD) is an uncommon but disabling injury, associated with implications on morbidity and mortality. Depending on the severity, the treatment can be conservative or surgical, this latter method can be single plate (SP) or double plate (DP) osteosynthesis, with sparse information and without consensus on which of these fixation techniques to use.

Objective: to determine the functional outcome and post-surgical complications of SP and DP in the treatment of PSD.

Material and methods: retrospective comparative observational study of a cohort of 40 patients with PSD, divided into two groups of 20 patients each, post-operated with SP (group 1) and DP (group 2) according to the Tile classification. For the functional outcome, we used the Majeed scale.

Results: the median age is 38 years-old, with a predominance of males in 67.5%. According to each comorbidity, type of fracture, hospital stay, distance of pubic diastasis, operating vacuum and surgical time, there are no significant differences, p > 0.05. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was present in 60 and 25% of patients with SP and DP, respectively, p < 0.05. There were no differences in functional outcome or post-surgical complications between the two groups, p > 0.05.

Conclusions: fixation with SP and DP are equally effective, both in functional outcome and post-surgical complications in the treatment of PSD.