Femoroacetabular stabilization using a suspensory fixation device in post-traumatic hip instability after hip fracture–dislocation: technique and report of 6 cases

Residual instability after a complex hip dislocation is rare and difficult to manage. Orthopaedic traumatologists should be aware of adjunctive techniques that provide additional internal constraints and enhance hip joint stability after bony fixation. Ligamentum teres reconstruction has gained attention in the sports medicine and pediatric literature for reconstructing the secondary stabilizer of the hip. In this technique, we describe the use of a femoroacetabular suspension device to address residual instability in 6 patients with complex hip dislocations. In essence, deployment of a suspensory fixation device across the femoroacetabular joint provides an internal stabilization strategy to maintain reduction, serving as a salvage option or as a primary stabilization method in select cases where traditional fixation or soft tissue repair is unlikely to restore stability, and thereby avoiding the need for postreconstruction immobilization or more complex reconstructive procedures.