Small intestinal incarceration in the fractured part of the acetabulum due to fall trauma: a case report

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Acute Care Surgery Vol. 14; pp. 14-3 - 77
• Main Authors: Seki, Satoshi, Yoneyama, Hisashi, Hasegawa, Eiju, Hishikawa, Tsuyoshi, Kohara, Saeko, Okada, Ichiro, Inoue, Kazushige
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society for the Acute Care Surgery 2024; 一般社団法人 日本Acute Care Surgery 学会
• Subjects: acetabular fracture; bowel obstruction; intestine incarceration; 寛骨臼骨折; 腸管嵌頓; 腸閉塞
• ISSN: 2436-102X
• DOI: 10.50840/jjacs.14-3

A 73-year-old male patient fell from a height of approximately 2 meters and was injured while pruning a tree. A right acetabular fracture with retroperitoneal hematoma was detected by computed tomography （CT） scan. The patient presented symptoms of epigastric pain, abdominal distension, and vomiting on day 4. CT scan revealed a bowel obstruction and incarceration into the right acetabular fracture site. Emergency laparotomy was performed and released. The patient underwent right acetabular fixation on day 11 and was transferred to the hospital for rehabilitation. Paralytic ileus is a common acetabular fracture complication, but intestinal obstruction due to incarceration at the fracture site is very rare. Hence, careful evaluation is important for differentiation.