Table 1. Young-Burgess pelvic fracture classification.

Young-Burgess classification	Type of fracture	Associated injuries
Lateral compression
Type I	Force is directed posteriorly	Minimal problems with resuscitation
	Sacral crush and ipsilateral horizontal pubic rami fracture
	Stable
Type II	Force is directed anteriorly	Often associated head and intra-abdominal injuries
	Horizontal pubic rami fractures, anterior sacral crush and disruption of either the posterior sacro-iliac joints or fractures through the iliac wing
	Ipsilateral injury
	Vertical stability is maintained
Type IIII	Force is anteriorly directed and continued across the pelvis	Often associated head and intra-abdominal injuries
	Type I or II ipsilateral fracture and an external rotation component to the contralateral hemi-pelvis opening the sacro-iliac joint posteriorly and disrupting the sacrotuberous and spinous ligaments
Anteroposterior compression
Type I	Force is antero-posteriorly directed	Minimal problems with resuscitation
	<2.5 cm diastasis
	Vertical fracture of 1 or both pubic rami
	Or disruption of symphysis, opening the pelvis
	Posterior ligaments are intact
	Stable
Type II	Continuation of type I with disruption of posterior ligaments	Minimal problems with resuscitation
	>2.5 cm diastasis
	Opening of sacroiliac joints
	Vertical stable
	Rotational instability
Type III	Complete disruption anteriorly and posteriorly	Brain, abdominal, visceral, pelvic vascular
	Significant sacral diastasis or displacement of vertical pelvic rami fracture	Increased risk of shock, sepsis and ARDS
	Completely unstable or vertical instability
Vertical shear	Force is directed vertically or at right angles to support structures of pelvis	Often associated head and intra-abdominal injuries
	Vertical fractures of all rami and disruption of all ligaments
	Completely unstable and rotationally unstable
Combined mechanism of injury	Any combination of the above	–
	Unstable injury