• Vincenzo Giordano, Ney Pecegueiro do Amaral, Carlos Eduardo Franklin, Alexandre Pallottino, Rodrigo Pires E Albuquerque, and Marcos Giordano.
• Hospital Municipal Miguel Couto, Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. sot.hmmc@terra.com.br.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg S. 2007 Oct 1;33(5):520-7.

PurposeTo review our experience with 82 surgically treated displaced acetabular fractures over a 4-year period.Patients And MethodsNinety-three consecutive displaced acetabular fractures were consecutively operated on at Level I Trauma Center from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2003, and 82 were available for review with a minimum of 12-month follow-up. Clinical (Merle D'Aubigné modified by Matta et al.) and radiographic (Matta) outcomes were evaluated. Complications and secondary operative procedures were documented.ResultsAnatomical reduction was achieved in 89% of the patients. At follow-up examination 12-60 months postoperatively (mean 32 months), clinical results were satisfactory in 65 patients (79.2% of the cases), with 14 excellent and 51 good results, and roentgenographic results were satisfactory in 70 patients (85.4% of the cases). Complications included a 12.2% incidence of sciatic nerve palsy (10 patients, two postoperative and eight posttraumatic), a 2.4% incidence of intraoperative vascular lesion (one external iliac artery and one external iliac vein), a 1.2% incidence of postoperative loss of reduction, a 1.2% incidence of infection, a 1.2% incidence of Brooker et al. class IV heterotopic ossification, a 2.4% incidence of posttraumatic osteoarthritis, and a 2.4% incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.ConclusionsOperative treatment is an effective method for the management of displaced acetabular fractures. Clinical and roentgenographic results correlate closely with an anatomic reduction. Low complication rate can be expected if adequate preoperative assessment and planning is performed. Strategies to minimize the risk of thromboembolism and heterotopic ossification on the basis of mechanical pneumatic compression and antiinflammatory nonsteroidal drugs, respectively, are reliable techniques for these injuries.

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