Incidence of urethral disruption in females with traumatic pelvic fractures.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 1986 1.4 million female patients in the United States were admitted to inpatient and short-stay nonfederal hospitals as a result of injuries acquired secondary to trauma. Of these, 45,000 had traumatic pelvic fractures. Rupture of the urethra is the most important lower urinary tract injury associated with traumatic pelvic fracture because of the high incidence of serious complications, such as urethral stricture and incontinence. To our knowledge, there are no satisfactory studies in the English literature documenting the incidence of urethral disruption in females with traumatic pelvic fractures. The records of all women patients with pelvic fractures registered in the Latter Day Saints Hospital trauma registry between July 1, 1981 and August 31, 1987 were reviewed. Of 146 female patients with traumatic pelvic fractures who were hospitalized during this period, none was found to have an urethral injury. Two patients (1.4%) had bladder contusions, and one (.7%) had a bladder rupture. This was the first large series attempting to identify the true incidence of urethral disruption in females with traumatic pelvic fracture, and it was found to be a rare occurrence.