Modification of Pelvic Support Osteotomy Technique in Patients with Sequelae of Hip Dysplasia: A Case Series

The management of hip dislocation in patients older than 9 years of age is a challenge in terms of deciding which is the best treatment course to follow since the main sequelae are as follows: pain, discrepancy in the length of the pelvic extremities and lame gait, with the consequent disability for activities of daily living. In Ho Choi, Thabet A mention limited treatment options, including total hip arthroplasty and hip arthrodesis. These options have their benefits and limitations. The pelvic support osteotomy initially indicated for the treatment of septic arthritis of the hip and performed for the first time by Bavoier in 1838 and modified in 1970 by Ilizarov aims to improve the aforementioned sequelae. These cases report showed us the functional improvement with the treatment of dislocated hip dysplasia with pelvic support osteotomy with monolateral fixator and the 2nd osteotomy 4 cm distal to the hip. This was corroborated through the application of the modified Harris test.

A series of six female Mexican adolescent patients from 11 to 17 years of age who come to the clinic due to long-standing pain symptoms in the coxofemoral joint, three patients in the right and three in the left hip when walking. All were treated with pelvic support osteotomy. The six patients continued with mild positive Trendelenburg but all of them diminished the discrepancy in the pelvic extremities, the mobility arcs were preserved and pain was suppressed in all. The modified Harris test showed increased scores (103.3%) after the surgery. There was just a minor complication in a patient, and it was resolved with surgical lavage.

The modifications in the technique, monolateral fixator and second osteotomy 4 cm from the first one, allowed our patients to present functional improvement at the hip, which was assessed with the modified Harris scale. Patients achieved independent walking without pain and Trendelenburg less evident. The changes we found in our patients are evidence of the goodness and effectiveness of this type of osteotomy in patients older than 9 years of age, to improve the function of the hip.