Use of tricortical iliac crest strut autograft in comminuted posterior wall acetabular fractures: A case series

PURPOSE: The results for fixation of comminuted posterior wall acetabular fractures are not very promising with reported complications in terms of osteoarthritis, nonunion and malunion which subsequently require conversion to total hip arthroplasty. The conversion to total hip arthroplasty is possible in patients over 50 years of age but not in younger patients. So this requires new methods for salvage of the native hip in young patients. METHODS: There were six patients in our series with highly comminuted posterior wall acetabular fractures where the fragments were excised and the gap filled with tricortical anterior iliac-crest strut autograft, fixed with screws and plate. RESULTS: Good results were achieved in four out of six patients analyzed clinically using the Merle d'Aubinge score modified by Matta and radiologically by Matta scoring. These patients have returned to original work and are walking independently. The good result in one patient deteriorated from good to poor between one and two years. One patient developed infection and excision arthroplasty was done. The graft incorporated well in five out of six patients. CONCLUSION: The use of iliac crest autograft is a better, advanced and promising technique as it provides a new wall to the weight bearing dome of the acetabulum for articulation with the femoral head. The rates of nonunion, malunion, post traumatic osteoarthritis are less as compared to the fixation of the comminuted fragments. The need for conversion to total hip arthroplasty is also less.