title: Late surgery for acetabular fractures in a Chinese level I trauma centre: surgical experience and outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Delayed surgical management of acetabular fractures, often necessary due to life-threatening concomitant injuries, is a great challenge because delays may potentially increase complications and decrease outcomes. We report clinical outcomes of 61 acetabular fractures treated by delayed open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with an injury-to-surgery interval (ISI) of 22-399 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Operations were performed between April 2001 and December 2008. There were 61 cases (42 men 19 women), with an average age of 38 years. All patients were followed for an average of 82 months. Demographic data, fracture pattern, ISI, concomitant injuries, surgical approach, complications and clinical outcomes were recorded and analysed. There were 16 simple fractures (26.2%) and 45 associated fractures (73.8%). Matta criteria were used to evaluate reduction quality. The Merle d'Aubigné and Postel scoring system was employed to assess post-operative functionality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anatomical reduction was achieved in 45 cases (73.8%). The clinical result was excellent in 38 cases, good in 13, fair in six and poor in four. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head was observed in three cases, and heterotopic ossification was found in 28 cases. Four patients had transient palsy of the sciatic nerve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ORIF for fresh acetabular fractures might yield a better prognosis; however, for delayed acetabular fractures, clinical outcomes are also predictable when sophisticated surgical techniques are employed. Our results indicate that delayed ORIF could yield satisfactory clinical outcomes in the majority of patients with acetabular fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China.
authors.forename: You-Shui
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zu-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ming-Jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiao-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013997:Time Factors; D014193:Trauma Centers; D055815:Young Adult