Treatment of painful long-standing displaced fracture-dislocations of the sacrum. A case report.

A 19-year-old white man sustained multiple injuries, including a severely displaced Malgaigne fracture. Secondary uncontrollable hemorrhage was treated successfully by arterial embolization. The patient retained a painfully displaced right sacroiliac joint. His multiple injuries resolved symptom free with the exception of the right sacroiliac region. An attempt to reduce the dislocation by an extensive soft tissue release and skeletal traction was unsuccessful. Solid fusion of the L4 and L5 vertebrae to the ilium significantly reduced the patient's pain. Painful, long-standing severely displaced Malgaigne fracture can be successfully treated by sacroiliac arthrodesis without reduction.