Follow-up and complications

Patients should be followed-up in specialist pelvic units to ensure full advice is available for different aspects of care including pain management, physical, urological and sexual disabilities.

Complications of pelvic injury include:

• Morel-Lavalle Lesion (Morel Lavallée Lesions (MLL) are uncommon shearing injuries resulting in separation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue from the underlying fascia. Essentially it is a closed internal degloving injury- consult plastic surgery).

Fig.31 Image via Radiopaedia.org. Case courtesy of Dr Matt Skalski

• Thromboembolism
• Pelvic infection
• Osteomyelitis
• Sciatic nerve injury
• Urological stricture/incontinence/impotence
• Persistent pain from malunion

Learning bite

Pelvic injury can lead to multiple complications and should be followed up in specialist pelvic units.