The management of acetabular malunion with traumatic arthritis by total hip arthroplasty

Comparison of clinical effects of two surgical approaches in the treatment of acetabular fractures

Objective

To determine the clinical effect of lateral rectus abdominis approach and modified Stoppa approach for the surgical treatment of acetabular fractures.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on the case data of 30 patients with acetabular fractures admitted to the Department of Orthopaedics of Hengshui City People's Hospital from June 2017 to June 2021. According to the surgical methods, the enrolled patients were divided into the lateral rectus abdominis approach group (observation group) and the modified Stoppa approach group (control group), with 15 patients in each group. Further comparison was made on the incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of stay in the hospital, fracture reduction, hip joint function, neurological recovery, and postoperative complications between the two groups.

Results

There was no significant difference between the two groups in the length of stay in the hospital, hip joint function score, fracture reduction quality, and excellent-to-good rate of hip joint function (p>0.05). There were significant differences in incision length, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative motor and touch function scores, and postoperative complication rate between the observation group and the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The clinical effect of the lateral rectus abdominis approach is close to that of the modified Stoppa approach for the surgical treatment of acetabular fracture patients. However, and importantly, surgery through the lateral rectus abdominis approach has less trauma, shorter operation time, lower surgical complications, and good postoperative functional recovery.

Malunion of the Acetabulum Treated by Intra-articular Buttress

Acetabulum malunions are extremely difficult to treat, and for many years, surgical indications have been dominated by total hip replacement. We treated a protruding acetabular malunion, 20 years ago, using an intra-articular buttress, by means of an allograft corresponding to a femoral head fragment which had been cryopreserved. The radiological and clinical result with this extended follow-up is quite remarkable, which has motivated us to present this original technique.

Conversion to total hip arthroplasty in posttraumatic arthritis: short-term clinical outcomes

Background

Fractures of the acetabulum are challenging and very difficult to treat, and even after fixation, they can lead to posttraumatic arthritis. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been the most common surgery performed for the complications of posttraumatic arthritis in this group of patients.

Aim

In this article, it is aimed to assess the functional results and complications of the conversion to THA for posttraumatic arthritis after acetabular fracture.

Patients and methods

Forty-nine patients were followed up for a mean of 3.7 years (range 2-5 years). The complications included four cases of sciatic nerve palsy, all of which had injury during the first operation. Two cases underwent two-stage surgery because of infection which was demonstrated by a high level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate/C-reactive protein and according to frozen section samples, which were sent intraoperatively with >10 neutrophil/high-power field; one case was then managed by a one-stage protocol for infection after THA was infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In 1 case, we used the Girdlestone operation for severe infections and uncontrolled diabetes; in 2 cases, we used cages; and in 47 cases, we used uncemented cups.

Results

The mean of modified Hip Harris Score improved from 47 (31-66) before the conversion to 89 (79-95) at the final follow-up. The pain component of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities also increased from an average of 15 (7-20) to 4 (0-11) at the final follow-up. No dislocation, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary thromboembolism, new nerve injury, and heterotopic ossification occurred.

Conclusion

The conversion to THA after posttraumatic arthritis in acetabular fracture can lead to reasonable pain relief and functional improvement.

Treatment of postoperative sciatic nerve palsy after total hip arthroplasty for postoperative acetabular fracture: A case report

Acetabular fracture is usually treated with osteosynthesis. However, in the case of an intra-articular fracture, osteosynthesis can result in arthropathy of the hip joint and poor long-term results, hence, total hip arthroplasty is required. However, in total hip arthroplasty for postoperative acetabular fracture, sciatic nerve palsy tends to develop more commonly than after primary total hip arthroplasty. This is a case report of a 57-year-old Japanese male who had internal skeletal fixation for a left acetabular fracture that had occurred 2 years earlier. One year later, he developed coxarthrosis and severe pain of the hip joint and total hip arthroplasty was performed. After the second surgery, he experienced pain along the distribution of the sciatic nerve and weakness of the muscles innervated by the peroneal nerve, indicating sciatic nerve palsy. We performed a third operation, and divided adhesions around the sciatic nerve. Postoperatively, the anterior hip joint pain and the buttocks pain when the hip was flexed were improved. Abduction of the fifth toe was also improved. However, the footdrop and sensory disturbance were not improved. A year after the third operation, sensory disturbance was slightly improved but the footdrop was not improved. We believe the sciatic nerve palsy developed when we dislocated the hip joint as the sciatic nerve was excessively extended as the hip joint flexed and internally rotated. Sciatic nerve adhesion can occur easily in total hip replacement for postoperative acetabular fracture; hence, adhesiotomy should be conducted before performing hip dislocation to prevent injury caused by nerve tension. The patient agreed that the details of this case could be submitted for publication. The work has been reported in line with the CARE criteria and cite.