Displaced Acetabular Fractures

Displaced acetabular fractures occur primarily in young adults involved in high energy trauma and can lead to disabling posttraumatic arthritis. An initial roentgenographic evaluation with accurate delineation of all fracture lines provides the key to decisions about whether to give closed or open treatment. When open treatment is indicated, a surgical approach can be chosen that will almost always lead to reduction without the necessity of a second approach. The authors have found that the Kocher-Langenbeck, ilioinguinal, and extended iliofemoral approaches are the most useful. A fracture table and specialized reduction instruments aid fracture reduction and fixation. Satisfactory operative reduction of the fracture is the factor that correlates best with a satisfactory clinical result. The rate of satisfactory operative reductions improved gradually over the first 50 operations of a prospective study of 121 displaced acetabular fractures. Overall, there were 80% satisfactory clinical results in this series. Complications included a 3% infection rate and a 5% incidence of nerve palsy. Open reduction and internal fixation are indicated for the majority of displaced fractures. However, closed treatment can produce satisfactory results in selected patients.