Background This study aimed to share our experience of anterior ring fixation failure for unstable pelvic fractures and propose corresponding treatment strategies. Materials From January 2009 to December 2018, 93 charts of patients with pelvic fractures were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with failure of the anterior ring internal fixation within 3 months after initial surgery were analyzed. Quality of reduction was evaluated using the Majeed scoring system. Patients aging ≥ 18 years, with unstable pelvic fractures, Tile classification type B and type C pelvic fractures, combined injury of other organs that did not affect the operation and without important neurovascular damage were included. The exclusion criteria included: (1) pathological fracture, or combined with pelvic bone tumor or severe osteoporosis; (2) femoral fracture and thoracolumbar fracture; (3) open pelvic fracture; (4) Morel-Lavallée injury; (5) complicated acetabular fracture. The quality of the reduction of the anterior pelvic ring injury was evaluated on the x-ray film using the Majeed scoring system. Results According to the Tile classification of fracture, there were 23 cases of type B1, 17 cases of type B2, 11 cases of type B3, 28 cases of type C1, 6 cases of type C2, and 8 cases of type C3. The duration from injury to pelvic internal fixation ranged from 5 to 28 days. Seven out of 93 patients experienced failure of internal fixation of the anterior pelvic ring within 3 months, including 2 patients fixed with an external fixator and 5 patients fixed with a plate. Five patients undergoing revision surgery were followed up for 6–36 months with an average of 18 months. According to Majeed’s score at the last follow-up in the 5 patients undergoing revision surgery, there were 2 cases of excellent, 2 cases of good, 1 case of fair. The excellent and good rate reached 80%. Conclusion The treatment of complicated unstable pelvic fractures requires performing internal fixation surgery within 2 weeks. It is necessary to make a preoperative plan and stabilize the posterior ring first, avoiding a single steel plate crossing the pubic symphysis.

The authors have retracted this article. After the publication, the authors engaged in follow up work which yielded different results to this article. The authors believe this is due to inconsistencies in the results of the surgeries and have therefore lost confidence in the reliability of the results.Sheng Zhang, Huagui Mo, Yucheng Liu and Guohua Zhu agree to this retraction. Bin Yu has not responded to any correspondence from the publisher about this retraction.

Background: This study aimed to share our experience of anterior ring fixation failure for unstable pelvic fractures and propose corresponding treatment strategies. Materials: From January 2009 to December 2018, 93 patients with pelvic fractures were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with failure of the anterior ring internal fixation within 3 months after initial surgery were analyzed. Quality of reduction was evaluated using the Majeed scoring system.Results: According to the Tile classification of fracture, there were 23 cases of type B1, 17 cases of type B2, 11 cases of type B3, 28 cases of type C1, 6 cases of type C2, and 8 cases of type C3. The duration from injury to pelvic internal fixation ranged from 5-28 days. Seven out of 93 patients experienced failure of internal fixation of the anterior pelvic ring within 3 months, including 2 patients fixed with an external fixator and 5 patients were fixed with a plate. Five patients undergoing revision surgery were followed up for 6-36 months with an average of 18 months. According to Majeedscore at the last follow-up, there were 2 cases of excellent, 2 cases of good, 1 case of fair, and the excellent and good rate reached 80%.Conclusion: The treatment of complicated unstable pelvic fractures requires early multidisciplinary cooperation, proper management of hemodynamic stability and other comorbidities, and performing internal fixation surgery within 2 weeks. It is necessary to make a preoperative plan and stabilize the posterior ring first, avoiding a single steel plate crossing the pubic symphysis.