FRACTURE OF THE PELVIS. 
473 
the bed. Stocklieth noted a case of fractured pelvis from violent struggling 
in hobbles. Fractures of the outer angle of the ilium are also caused by 
passing through narrow doorways, by kicks or by heavy objects falling 
on the bone ; the skin is often simultaneously injured, and a compound 
fracture results ; with few exceptions, other pelvic fractures remain sub¬ 
cutaneous. In the mare, however, Moller saw perforation of the vagina 
by a splinter of the ischium. 
In cows fractures of the pelvis may be caused by violent attempts to 
effect delivery. Similar injuries occur during coitus and after falls. 
Whilst in large animals the weight of the body or violent muscular 
Fig-. 182.—Schema illustrating fractures of the pelvis in the horse. 
Fracture of (1) external iliac angle ; 2 internal iliac angle ; (3) shaft of the ilium; (4) transverse 
portion of the os pubis ; (4a) external portion of the ischium; (5) cotyloid cavity ; (6) tuber 
ischii; (7) symphysis pubis. 
action is responsible for these fractures, in smaller animals and in man 
they generally result from external violence, as from being run over, 
severely kicked, or crushed in narrow passages or in doorways. This 
explains why multiple fractures of the pelvis are frequent in small 
animals, but comparatively rare in large ones. 
For the purposes of diagnosis and prognosis, fractures of the pelvis 
may be divided into two groups :— 
(1) Pelvic fractures without division of the pelvic girdle (fig. 182). 
These comprise fractures of the external (1) or internal (2) iliac angle, 
fractures of the tuber ischii (6), transverse portion of the os pubis (4), 
and external portion of the ischium (4a). The external angle of the ilium 
is the most frequent seat. It need scarcely be said that such injuries 
