Management and reconstruction of pelvic instability after emergency symphysiotomy

Late-Onset Sacroiliac Osteoarthritis After Surgical Symphysiotomy: A Case Report

A 35-year-old female presented with right-sided gluteal pain and difficulty in walking 10 years after surgical symphysiotomy. Radiograph of the pelvis and bilateral hip joints showed osteoarthritis of the right sacroiliac joint with pubic diastasis of 1.5 cm. She was operated with pubis symphysis reduction and fixation using two orthogonal plates with one iliosacral screw. Postoperative period was uneventful. She was able to walk independently after three months of fixation. Follow-up at 18 months showed complete relief of symptoms with maintenance of reduction and no hardware breakage. The Lindahl score was 78, indicating an excellent outcome.

Instability of the Pelvic Ring: A Special Clinical Entity?

The presence of the pathological movement of pubic symphysis under normal activities characterises a syndrome know as anterior pelvic ring instability [...]

Radiographic findings after pubic symphysiotomy: mean time to follow-up of 41.6 years

BACKGROUND

Pubic symphysiotomy is a rarely performed procedure in which the pubic symphysis is divided to facilitate vaginal delivery in cases of obstructed labor. Recently, many obstetricians have shown renewed interest in this procedure. The purpose of this paper is to report the long-term radiographic findings for patients who had undergone pubic symphysiotomy compared with the radiographic appearance of a group of age-matched and parity-matched controls.

METHODS

This was a retrospective case-control study. Twenty-five women who had previously undergone pubic symphysiotomy for childbirth were compared with twenty-five age-matched and parity-matched controls. The radiographic parameters recorded included pubic symphysis width, pubic symphysis translation, grade of sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis, and presence of parasymphyseal degeneration.

RESULTS

The mean time to follow-up after symphysiotomy was 41.6 years (range, twenty-two to fifty-five years). The symphysiotomy group had a significantly higher proportion of patients (80%) with high-grade sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis (Grade 3 or 4 according to the Kellgren and Lawrence osteoarthritis scoring system) than the control group (16%) (p < 0.001). Within the symphysiotomy group, patients with high-grade sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis tended to be older, have a longer time to follow-up, and have a larger pubic symphysis width. The control group had a higher prevalence of parasymphyseal degeneration than did the symphysiotomy group (p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Late-onset sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis secondary to pelvic instability was a major finding in this study and, to our knowledge, has not been discussed previously in the literature regarding pubic symphysiotomy.

Symphysiotomy for feto-pelvic disproportion

BACKGROUND

Symphysiotomy is an operation in which the fibres of the pubic symphysis are partially divided to allow separation of the joint and thus enlargement of the pelvic dimensions during childbirth. It is performed with local analgesia and does not require an operating theatre nor advanced surgical skills. It may be a lifesaving procedure for the mother or the baby, or both, in several clinical situations. These include: failure to progress in labour when caesarean section is unavailable, unsafe or declined by the mother; and obstructed birth of the aftercoming head of a breech presenting baby. Criticism of the operation because of complications, particularly pelvic instability, and as being a 'second best' option has resulted in its decline or disappearance from use in many countries. Several large observational studies have reported high rates of success, low rates of complications and very low mortality rates.

OBJECTIVES

To determine, from the best available evidence, the effectiveness and safety of symphysiotomy versus alternative options for obstructed labour in various clinical situations.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (7 July 2012).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized trials comparing symphysiotomy with alternative management, or alternative techniques of symphysiotomy, for obstructed labour or obstructed aftercoming head during breech birth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Planned methods included evaluation of studies against objective quality criteria for inclusion, extraction of data, and analysis of data using risk ratios or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. The primary outcomes were maternal death or severe morbidity, and perinatal death or severe morbidity.

MAIN RESULTS

We found no randomized trials of symphysiotomy.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Because of controversy surrounding the use of symphysiotomy, and the possibility that it may be a life-saving procedure in certain circumstances, professional and global bodies should provide guidelines for the use (or non-use) of symphysiotomy based on the best available evidence (currently evidence from observational studies). Research is needed to provide robust evidence of the effectiveness and safety of symphysiotomy compared with no symphysiotomy or comparisons of alternative symphysiotomy techniques in clinical situations in which caesarean section is not available; and compared with caesarean section in clinical situations in which the relative risks and benefits are uncertain (for example in women at very high risk of complications from caesarean section).

Symphysiotomy for feto-pelvic disproportion

BACKGROUND

Symphysiotomy is an operation in which the fibres of the pubic symphysis are partially divided to allow separation of the joint and thus enlargement of the pelvic dimensions during childbirth. It is performed with local analgesia and does not require an operating theatre nor advanced surgical skills. It may be a lifesaving procedure for the mother or the baby, or both, in several clinical situations. These include: failure to progress in labour when caesarean section is unavailable, unsafe or declined by the mother; and obstructed birth of the aftercoming head of a breech presenting baby. Criticism of the operation because of complications, particularly pelvic instability, and as being a 'second best' option has resulted in its decline or disappearance from use in many countries. Several large observational studies have reported high rates of success, low rates of complications and very low mortality rates.

OBJECTIVES

To determine, from the best available evidence, the effectiveness and safety of symphysiotomy versus alternative options for obstructed labour in various clinical situations.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 August 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 3) and PubMed (1966 to 31 August 2010).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized trials comparing symphysiotomy with alternative management, or alternative techniques of symphysiotomy, for obstructed labour or obstructed aftercoming head during breech birth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Planned methods included evaluation of studies against objective quality criteria for inclusion, extraction of data, and analysis of data using risk ratios or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. The primary outcomes were maternal death or severe morbidity, and perinatal death or severe morbidity.

MAIN RESULTS

We found no randomized trials of symphysiotomy.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Because of controversy surrounding the use of symphysiotomy, and the possibility that it may be a life-saving procedure in certain circumstances, professional and global bodies should provide guidelines for the use (or non-use) of symphysiotomy based on the best available evidence (currently evidence from observational studies). Research is needed to provide robust evidence of the effectiveness and safety of symphysiotomy compared with no symphysiotomy or comparisons of alternative symphysiotomy techniques in clinical situations in which caesarean section is not available; and compared with caesarean section in clinical situations in which the relative risks and benefits are uncertain (for example in women at very high risk of complications from caesarean section).