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Fixation Failure After Healing of an Adolescent Posterior Wall Acetabular Fracture Without Growth Disturbance: A Case
Mason J Price1, Jonathan D Ellis1, Clay A Spitler2
1Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Case:
An 11-year-old boy sustained a right posterior wall acetabulum fracture treated with open reduction and internal fixation using a 2.7-mm buttress plate that spanned the triradiate cartilage with planned removal at 6 months. The patient was lost to follow-up and returned at age 14 with a normal, pain-free hip. Radiographs showed a healed fracture with no acetabular deformity or growth disturbance; however, his posterior wall plate screws were broken.
Conclusion:
In skeletally immature patients undergoing acetabulum fixation, retained physeal-spanning fixation constructs may fail secondary to continued pelvic growth rather than cause meaningful growth disturbance, and routine removal may be unnecessary.
