Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
09:51
The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
Modified medial Stoppa approach for acetabular fractures: an anatomic study
Burkay Kutluhan Kacra1, Mehmet Arazi, Aynur Emine Cicekcibasi
1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology (BKK), Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
The Journal of Trauma
|July 20, 2011
Summary
The modified medial Stoppa approach for acetabular fractures risks injury to obturator vessels and nerves. Understanding these risks through cadaver dissection is crucial for minimizing complications in this new surgical technique.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Surgical anatomy
Background:
- The modified medial Stoppa approach offers novel access to the internal pelvis and acetabulum's medial wall.
- Limited clinical anatomic data exists for this surgical approach.
- This study defines pertinent surgical anatomy and analyzes structures at risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the surgical anatomy relevant to the modified medial Stoppa approach.
- To analyze the anatomic positions and variations of structures encountered during the procedure.
- To identify structures at risk during modified medial Stoppa approach for acetabular fractures.
Main Methods:
- Dissection of five formalized cadavers.
- Latex injection to color internal iliac artery branches.
- Morphometrical measurements of adjacent neurovascular structures and their variations.
Main Results:
- Obturator vessels and nerve, and iliolumbar vessels are primary structures at risk.
- Obturator neurovascular bundle requires careful attention due to direct contact with the quadrilateral surface.
- Corona mortis (vein communication) observed in 40% of hemipelvises between obturator and inferior epigastric veins.
Conclusions:
- Cadaver dissection is vital before clinical application to mitigate intraoperative risks.
- This study is the first anatomic investigation detailing structures at risk for the modified medial Stoppa approach in acetabular fracture treatment.
