Rotational acetabular osteotomy in congenital dysplasia of the hip

Rotational acetabular osteotomy was carried out in 127 patients (147 hips) with acetabular dysplasia, some of whom showed early or progressive degenerative changes. Complications occurring during and after operation were transient lesions of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in 20 patients, of the femoral nerve in 2, fracture of the acetabulum in 1, inadequate rotation of the acetabulum in 11, and infection in 3 patients. Later complications were breakage of Kirschner wires in 3, ectopic bone formation in 2 and acute chondrolysis in 3 patients. Sixty-six patients (69 hips) were followed for an average of 5 years and 4 months, and in most of them satisfactory results were achieved in spite of these complications.