title: Predictors of postoperative outcome for acetabular fractures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The outcomes of surgically treated acetabular fractures are dependent on many factors. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate these factors in a group of patients operated on by a single surgeon in one institute.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighteen patients, treated surgically for their displaced acetabular fracture and who had completed two years follow-up, were evaluated clinically with Modified Postel Merle d'Aubigné score and radiologically with Matta's radiological outcome grading. The effect of age (≤ 55 or >55 years), gender, fracture displacement (≤ 20mm or >20mm), hip dislocation, delay in surgery (≤ 2 weeks or >2 weeks), associated injury and length of follow-up (≤ 5 years or >5 years) on the functional outcome was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 99 (83.9%) males and 19 (16.1%) females with mean age of 38.75 years (16 to 65 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 3.95 years (range 2 to 14 years). The mean Modified Postel Merle d'Aubigné score was 15.7 ± 2.2 (range, 8 to 18). The clinical outcome was excellent in 27 (22.9%), good in 52 (44.2%), fair in 20 (16.9%), and poor in 19 (16.1%, 10 patients who underwent THR for secondary arthritis were considered as poor outcome) patients. The Modified Postel Merle d'Aubigné score was significantly affected by quality of reduction (P=0.0001), presence of associated injuries (P=0.0001), initial fracture displacement of >20mm (P=0.018), joint dislocation (P=0.015) and delay in surgery (P=0.001). However, age, gender, fracture type and length of follow-up did not have any effects on the clinical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor reduction, associated injuries, fracture displacement of >20mm, joint dislocation and late surgery definitely carry poor prognosis in predicting the outcome of surgically treated acetabular fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012, India.
authors.forename: U K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Behera
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acetabulum fracture; Outcome; Predictors; Prognosis; Surgical treatment