Injury classifications and operative approaches in hip dislocation and fractures

During the last few decades, traumatic injuries of the hip joint have significantly increased in number, and traffic accidents have also increased. Depending on the speed, direction of the forces and the position of the femur at the moment of impact, different patterns of injury occur. Basically, they are classified as hip dislocations, dislocation fractures and acetabular fractures. These injuries have in common a high rate of concomitant lesions. Several classification systems have been developed for these injuries. Commonly, Stewart and Milford's or Levin's classification is used for dislocations and dislocation fractures. For acetabular fractures, Judet and Letournel's classification and its newer version developed by Helfet (AO classification) are generally accepted. Fractures of the femoral head, though included in these classifications, are typically described by separate classifications like the one presented in 1957 by Pipkin. The multitude of injuries occuring in the hip joint requires vast knowledge of various operative approaches. No single approach exists that would permit the treatment of all injuries in an ideal fashion. Approaches are either considered limited (Kocher-Langenbeck, ilioinguinal iliofemoral) when they permit access only to a restricted segment of the joint, or extended (extended iliofemoral, Maryland, Ruedi) when they allow all-around visualization of the hip joint. The choice of the best approach for an individual patient depends on the type of injury and also on patient variables like age, preexisting disease, and concomitant injuries. The decision is further influenced by the timing of surgery, the kind of fracture stabilization intended and by complications typically seen with certain approaches. The indication for extended procedures is only seen in patients with complex injury patterns involving both the anterior and the posterior column or in delayed cases undergoing surgery more than 3 weeks after trauma. Extended approaches permit excellent visualization of the fracture, but the extent of the soft tissue trauma is reflected in a high rate of postoperative complications. After a phase in which extended procedures were favored, recently a trend towards more limited approaches can be recognized because of their lower complication rate. This is facilitated by modern fracture-reduction methods using indirect techniques.