Patients with significant posterior pelvic pain with ambulation or who failed to ambulate with physical therapy demonstrated significant benefits when treated with percutaneous transiliac–transsacral screw fixation, evident from a study results published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.

J. Brock Walker and colleagues explained the role of percutaneous transiliac-transsacral screw fixation in improving sacral fragility fractures related ambulation, pain, length of stay and disposition rate to home. This technique became popular in mid and late 1990 to fix posterior pelvic ring injuries. Nowadays, it is used to manage issues with sacral fractures.

A total of 41 older patients who suffered from sacral fractures from August 2015 to August 2017 were selected retrospectively. Out of these, 25 treated non-operatively and 16 treated with percutaneous transiliac-transsacral screw fixation. The ambulation, length of stay, pain and disposition rate to home were measured as significant outcomes of the analysis. 

The operational group showed improved pain (3.9 points) measured by VAS as compared to non-operative group( 0.6 points, p<0.001). Hundred per cent of operational group patients were able to ambulate as compared to 72% patients of the non-operational group (p=0.03). The operational group also exhibited higher ( 95 ft vs 35 ft) average distance ambulating during discharge. Both groups presented an almost equal length of stay (operative – 3.6 days; non-operative – 4.2 days). A total of 75% patients from operational group discharged to home as compared to 20% from non-operational group. No complications were noticed during operation. Overall, the percutaneous transiliac-transsacral screw fixation able to improves sacral fragility fractures related problems. However, more research is required to assess technique advantages in regards to medium and long-term outcomes.