Clinical and functional outcomes of posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum fixed with spring plates by a posterolateral rotator-sparing approach

Background: Posterior wall fractures are the most frequent and account for up to 25% of all acetabular fractures, open reduction and internal fixation by a Kocher Langenbeck approach is the gold standard for this injury but even with anatomic reduction poor outcomes are higher than expected, The present study proposes a technique for open reduction and internal minimizing soft tissue and periosteal injury through a modified Kocher-Langenbeck and spring plate fixation. Methods: This case series, descriptive, longitudinal study assessed the clinical and functional outcomes of patients with isolated posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum, the study included 24 consecutive patients from January to December 2018 who underwent open reduction and internal fixation with spring plates by a Rotator Sparing Kocher Langenbeck approach Results: Clinical and radiographic assessment at 3 and 12 months using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Merle d'Aubigne and Postel (MDP) score, and EQ-5D-3L score. Results: Twenty-four patients were included in the study (5 females [20.8%], 19 males [79.2%]; mean age, 33.5 +/- 13.1 years; range: 15-64 years). 41.7% of patients were admitted for hip dislocation, with 75% of these presenting a displacement greater than 20 mm; 21% for marginal impaction; 8.3% for acetabular dome involvement; and 25% for femoral head involvement. Based on the HHS, MDP, and EQ-5D-3L scores, the 12-month follow-up showed excellent outcomes in 95.8% of patients, and only one patient presented a poor functional outcome that was associated with posttraumatic arthrosis due to sequelae of femoral head necrosis. Conclusions: Excellent and good outcomes are considerably higher with this technique compared to previous papers in the literature. It is still early to assess femoral head necrosis and osteoarthritis, but these are promising results. Level of Evidence: IV (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study assessed the clinical and functional outcomes of patients with isolated posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum treated with a modified Kocher-Langenbeck approach and spring plate fixation. Results showed excellent outcomes in 95.8% of patients at the 12-month follow-up, indicating a higher success rate compared to previous literature.