Treatment of anterior column posterior hemitransverse fracture with supra-ilioinguinal approach

OBJECTIVE: To report the feasibility and effect of the supra-ilioinguinal approach for treatment of anterior posterior hemitransverse fracture of the acetabulum. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive patients who underwent treatment for an anterior column posterior hemitransverse fracture of the acetabulum from January 2013 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent treatment by the single supra-ilioinguinal approach with at least 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean time to surgery, operative time, incision length, and blood loss were 10.2 ± 3.8 days, 157 ± 125 minutes, 10.2 ± 0.6 cm, and 876 ± 234 mL, respectively. According to the Matta scoring system, the reduction quality was excellent in 13 patients, good in 6, and poor in 0. According to the Merle d'Aubigné scoring system, the outcome at the last follow-up was excellent in 12 patients, good in 5, fair in 1, and poor in 1. Postoperative complications occurred in three patients (deep vein thrombosis in one, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury in one, and both complications in one). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the supra-ilioinguinal approach for treatment of anterior column posterior hemitransverse fracture of the acetabulum produced excellent clinical results because of the direct visualization of the anterior column and quadrilateral plate.