Mid-term results of an anterior ilioischial plating for complex acetabular fractures with a combined anterior approach: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background: Bi-columnar plating via combined anterior and posterior approaches is routinely applied treatment for complex acetabular fractures with noteworthy shortcomings. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the anterior plating with an ilioischial plate through the combined anterior approach for complex acetabular fracture treatment. Methods: Patients with complex acetabular fractures treated at our trauma centre between January 2015 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Fractures were stabilized with an ilioischial plate via a modified Stoppa approach combined with the 1st window of the ilioinguinal approach. Interval between injury and surgery, operative time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. Fracture reduction was evaluated radiographically with the modified Matta's criteria at 3 days postoperatively. Postoperative hip function was assessed using the modified Merle d'Aubigne and Postel clinical grading system over at least 1 year postoperatively. Results: Twenty patients were included with an average follow-up of 17 months (range, 13-28). The mean time interval between injury and surgery was 7.0 days (range, 3-13 days), operative time was 2.0 hours (range, 1.4-3.2 hours), and intraoperative blood loss was 320 mL (range, 220-450 mL). Fracture reduction was excellent in 15 cases (75%), good in 3 cases (15%), fair in 1 case (5%), and poor in 1 case (5%). Final hip function was excellent in 13 cases (68%), good in 3 cases (16%), fair in 2 cases (11%), and poor in 1 case (5%). Bony healing was achieved in all cases and few complications were reported including recoverable obturator nerve injuries in 2 patients (10%) and traumatic arthritis in 1 patient (5%). Conclusions: Anterior fixation of complex acetabular fractures with an ilioischial plate via the combined anterior approach yielded clinically satisfactory mid-term outcomes, providing a potentially effective alternative to the conventional treatment algorithm.