Radiological evaluation of pelvic inlet and outlet radiographic view in Indian population

Abstract Background Pelvic fractures represent one of the most challenging clinical problems in which an urgent multidisciplinary approach is required. The early management in a suspected pelvic fracture starts with the good radiological evaluation. The standard radiographic view includes the anteroposterior, inlet and outlet views. The inlet and outlet views are taken with 45° tilt from anteroposterior plane. However, recent studies have shown that there is significant individual variation within the population and these values should be redefined. Material and Methods This is a retrospective study carried out in a tertiary care teaching institute. Total 110 patients (including 42 female and 68 male patients) of age older than 18 years, who had a routine pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) scan performed for any indications unrelated to pelvic pathologies were included. Statistical analysis Mean and standard deviation were calculated. For each angle measured, the effect of age was determined and a comparison was made between male and female patients, p value Results The mean angle of caudal tilt for the ideal screening inlet view was 33° +/−8 (16.3–31.3) and the mean angle of cephalic tilt for the ideal screening outlet view was 56° +/−9 (51.6–81.8). Conclusion This study re-evaluated the optimal inlet and outlet angles in Indians and demonstrated that the mean angles needed to create an ideal pelvic inlet and outlet views are 33° and 56° respectively.