Background: One of the difficulties in acetabulum surgery is appropriate exposure of the site of surgery. Trochanteric flip osteotomy is one of the surgical methods for superoposterior and posterior acetabulum exposure. However, due to possible complications some surgeons prefer to avoid this procedure. This study was undertaken to determine the outcome of surgical treatment of acetabular fracture using trochanteric flip osteotomy.
Methods : In this prospective cohort study, 14 patients with acetabular fracture who had been admitted in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, during 2003-2006 underwent trochanteric flip osteotomy. The patients were followed for at least one year post-surgically. Demographics, radiologic findings, intensity of pain using visual analogue scale (VAS), Harris hip score (HHS), force of hip abductors and complications were noted. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 13.
Results : The mean HHS was 82.5 (55-95). Heterotopic ossification was observed in three patients. There were no cases of postoperative infection or nonunion. Only two patients showed displacement of osteotomized fragments. Reduction was anatomic in 10 patients. In one patient, the force of hip abductors was three-fifth. The mean hip pain was 3.4 based on VAS. There were no cases of femoral head osteonecrosis. With respect to HHS, the final hip status was excellent and good in four and six patients, respectively. Three patients had fair and only one patient had poor condition.
Conclusion: It seems that trochanteric flip osteotomy has much fewer complications in comparison to other methods justifying its use in such cases.