Acetabular anatomy and the relationship with pelvic vascular structures. Implications in hip surgery

Most direct vascular trauma occurring during hip surgery results from injury to pelvic vascular structures which are not visible during the procedures of reaming, drilling holes or the fixation of screws. In this study, 5 pelves of fresh cadavers were injected with a radiopaque mixture and were visualised with a scanner according to 5 predetermined sections. Bone depth of the acetabulum was measured in each section. A calculation was made describing the minimal distance separating the inner cortex from the principal pelvic vessels. After an anatomic dissection of each pelvis, the relationship between the vessels and screws of the fixation cup, implanted identically on the quadranted acetabulum, was observed. The screws placed in the anterior and inferior quadrants and the center of the acetabulum endangered the external iliac v. and a. and the obturator pedicle. The depth of the periacetabular bone was greater in the superior and posterior quadrants. The inferior gluteal, pudendal and superior gluteal aa. were more than ten mm from the posterior wall. Conversely, the external iliac and obturator pedicles came in contact with the osseous surface on which they lay. A projection of the vessels on the acetabulum was made, and the reproducible character of the acetabular-quadrant system was verified. The superior quadrant offers all the characteristics of a vascular safe zone. A knowledge of these anatomic relationships explain vascular trauma in pelvic fractures and helps to prevent vascular injury in hip surgery.