Duverney fracture

Lore & Background

Joseph Guichard Duverney was a French surgeon who described the injury that now bears his name in his book *Maladies des Os*. The book was published posthumously in 1751. The fracture involves only the iliac wing and is caused by direct trauma to that area.

Reader's Guide

Duverney fractures are significant as isolated pelvic fractures that do not involve the weight-bearing pelvic ring, making them generally stable and often manageable without surgery. However, complications can include malunion and deformity of the iliac wing, injury to the internal iliac artery leading to hypovolaemic shock, bowel perforation causing sepsis, and damage to adjacent nerves of the lumbosacral plexus. Diagnosis is typically made on pelvic X-rays, but CT scans are required to fully delineate the fracture and check for associated pelvic ring fractures. Management is usually non-surgical with walking aids for pain, but open reduction internal fixation may be needed for deformity correction or if there is damage to blood vessels, nerves, or organs, or if the fracture is open.

Did You Know?

• Duverney fractures are generally stable because they do not disrupt the weight-bearing pelvic ring.
• The fracture is named after French surgeon Joseph Guichard Duverney, who described it in his book *Maladies des Os* published posthumously in 1751.
• Complications can include injury to the internal iliac artery leading to hypovolaemic shock.
• CT scans are required to fully delineate the fracture and look for associated fractures involving the pelvic ring.