Hip transposition as a universal surgical procedure for periacetabular tumors of the pelvis

Surgical treatment of pelvic tumors represents one of the most challenging problems in musculoskeletal oncology, especially in the periacetabular region. Because of the complex anatomy and demanding biomechanical situation, surgery leads to a considerable disability while all possible types of reconstruction are often associated with high complication rates. Nevertheless, it is known that wide resection of the tumor is one of the key points for long-term survival in sarcoma therapy. Therefore, hip transposition was established in our clinic as a universal tool for periacetabular tumors excelling in small foreign parts and resulting in acceptable complication rates with good functional outcome. The following article gives an overview of the technique and the indications of different types of hip transposition, which were developed from the first procedure, described and published by Winkelmann in 1988.