Emergent Management of APC-2 Pelvic Ring Injuries With an Anteriorly Placed C-Clamp

Objective: Can anteriorly placed pelvic C-clamps be used successfully in the emergent management of APC-2 pelvic fractures? Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Level 1 trauma center. Patients: A single-surgeon series of 24 patients with an anteroposterior compression type 2 pelvic fracture. Intervention: Application of an anteriorly placed pelvic C-clamp within 2 hours of presentation. Main Outcome Measurements: Response to hypotension, complications related to pin placement, application time, and symphyseal reduction measured on anteroposterior radiograph. Results: Twenty-four patients with a mean age of 29 years (14-58 years) had an APC-2 pelvic fracture diagnosed by an anteroposterior radiograph of the pelvis on presentation. All patients were emergently managed with an anteriorly placed C-clamp applied in the emergency room (10) angiography suite (9), or operating room (5). Eleven patients presented with hypotensio. The C-clamp was easily draped out of the field for both procedures. Conclusions: The pelvic C-clamp can be placed anteriorly as a part of the early management of APC-2 pelvic fractures with a short application time in a variety of patient care areas.