Entrapment of the external iliac vein in a both-column acetabular fracture.

We present a patient with an associated both-column acetabular fracture with entrapment of the external iliac vein in the fracture. This complication was not recognized until fracture manipulation during open reduction and fixation. This case report demonstrates that an acetabular fracture can have an associated vascular injury without any obvious clinical signs. This can be especially dangerous during percutaneous manipulation and fixation of these fractures as an obstruction or injury to the external iliac vein may occur and remain unrecognized. We feel that any surgeon involved in treating patients with acetabular or pelvic fractures should be aware of this potentially serious complication.