Use of allografts in Pemberton osteotomies

Twenty patients treated with 26 Pemberton osteotomies with allograft bone wedges were retrospectively evaluated radiographically. Two patients undergoing four osteotomies were excluded because of incomplete records or <1 year of follow-up. Eleven of the remaining 18 patients had other procedures performed. Osteotomies all united radiographically within 3 months. The acetabular index improved from 33 degrees before surgery to 18 degrees after surgery, and the lateral migration index improved from 60% to 26%. This new technique of Pemberton osteotomy with patellar allograft wedges allows good correction of acetabular dysplasia with immediate graft stability. This stability often obviates the need for postoperative spica casting, even for patients undergoing bilateral procedures, thereby allowing more rapid rehabilitation.