Quadrilateral plate fractures of the acetabulum: Classification, approach, implant therapy and related research progress

The quadrilateral plate (QP) is an essential structure of the inner wall of the acetabulum, an important weight-bearing joint of the human body, which is often involved in acetabular fractures. The operative exposure, reduction and fixation of QP fractures have always been the difficulties in orthopedics due to the special morphological structure and anatomical features of the QP. Fortunately, there have been many effective methods and instruments developed for QP exposure, reduction and fixation by virtue of the combined efforts of numerous orthopedists. At the same time, each method presents with its own advantages and disadvantages, resulting in different prognoses. It is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the anatomy, radiology and fixation techniques of the QP in terms of patient prognosis optimization. In this paper, the anatomical features, definition and classification of QP, operative approach selection, implant internal fixation methods and efficacy were reviewed.