Published online Jun 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i12.2634
Peer-review started: March 7, 2020
First decision: April 22, 2020
Revised: May 14, 2020
Accepted: May 26, 2020
Article in press: May 26, 2020
Published online: June 26, 2020
Processing time: 108 Days and 7.7 Hours
Acetabular anterior wall fracture with preservation of the pelvic brim is extremely rare. It is different from anterior wall fracture classified by Judet and Letournel. Few studies have reported cases treated by open reduction and internal fixation via the Smith-Petersen or iliofemoral approach.
We report a 48-year-old Chinese woman who had difficulty moving her right hip from abduction and external rotation after falling from 3 m. Pelvic radiograph and three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography revealed acetabular anterior wall fractures combined with fractures of the anterior inferior iliac spine and the iliac wing but not involving the pelvic brim. First, the patient underwent interim management by closed reduction of the hip dislocation and skin traction for 6 d. Then, we used a modified pararectus approach for treatment to fix the acetabular fractures with a reconstruction plate and nonlocking T-shape plate. At the 9-mo follow-up, the patient could walk painlessly without necrosis of the femoral head or heterotopic ossification, and the X-rays and computed tomography scan reconstructions showed good bone union.
The modified pararectus approach described here can facilitate exposure, reduction, and osteosynthesis for atypical acetabular fracture with less invasiveness.
Core tip: Acetabular anterior wall fracture without involvement of the pelvic brim is extremely rare. We present a case about the surgical outcome of a patient with atypical acetabular anterior wall fracture. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation via a modified pararectus approach that has not been reported. Follow-up X-ray and computed tomography scans showed satisfactory bone union. The function of the hip was excellent at the 9-mo follow-up after surgery.