Treatment of acetabular fractures: 10-year experience.
BACKGROUND
Acetabular fracture is a controversial and difficult fracture to manage. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of the traditional management of acetabular fractures.


METHODS
From 1987 to 1996, 112 cases of acetabular fracture presented at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital and were managed surgically in 73 cases and nonsurgically in 39 cases. The follow-up period was 90 (36-140) months.


RESULTS
In the nonsurgically managed group, congruent reduction was achieved in 29 cases (74.3%) and good to excellent functional results were achieved in 25 cases (64.1%). In the surgically managed group, congruent reduction was achieved in 60 cases (82.2%) and good to excellent functional results were achieved in 57 cases (74.3%). In 51 (45.5%) cases, early or late complications developed after management, including one femoral artery perforation, one screw penetration, three wound infections, one iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury, one deep vein thrombosis, 21 heterotopic ossifications, two chondrolyses, three avascular necroses of the femoral head and 18 cases of symptomatic traumatic arthritis.


CONCLUSIONS
The functional results correlated well with the final congruity of the joints and the severity of the complications.
Chen
C M
CM
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan, ROC.
Chiu
F Y
FY
Chuang
T Y
TY
Lo
W H
WH
D000077:Acetabulum / Q000293:injuries*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies