Operative treatment of acetabular fractures

A retrospective review of 23 patients with acetabular fractures operated upon between January 1985 and December 1990 was conducted. Eighteen patients were available for assessment of functional outcome. Radiological results were also evaluated. The majority of the patients were male and the average age was 35 years. Three-quarters of the patients had an injury to another system. Three-quarters of the patients were operated upon within two weeks and only two patients had complications directly related to the operation. Radiological result was excellent or good in 61%, fair in 22%, and poor in 16% of the patients. Functional score was excellent or good in 72%, fair in 16% and poor in 11%. In summary, operative treatment of acetabular fracture is a safe and acceptable method of managing displaced acetabular fractures.