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Surgical treatment of acetabular fractures in elderly patients with osteoporotic bone

Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208-3479, USA.

The incidence of acetabular fractures in the elderly has recently shown a marked increase due to the combination of greater longevity for the population as a whole and a relative decrease in the incidence of alcohol-related trauma in younger adults. The compromised physiologic reserve and the diminished healing capacity of the typical elderly patient have an adverse effect on the potential for a favorable clinical outcome. The presence of osteopenic bone or degenerative arthritis and the effects of previous radiation therapy to the hip and pelvis hamper diagnostic imaging and the utility of some treatment alternatives that were designed primarily for younger patients. The diverse clinical presentations include major polytrauma, minor trauma, and insufficiency fractures. An assessment of the prior health and functional status of the patient is crucial in determining the optimal therapeutic protocol. Treatment options vary according to the clinical presentation and include conservative methods, percutaneous fixation in situ, open reduction, and acute total hip arthroplasty. The feasibility of acute total hip arthroplasty rests on the use of newly developed techniques for minimally invasive stabilization of the acetabular fracture with cables and the application of morselized or structural autograft harvested from the femoral head. Whichever surgical method is chosen, the objective is rapid mobilization of the patient on a walker or crutches. Late complications that may occur after nonoperative or operative treatment include posttraumatic arthritis, nonunion, wound infection, and heterotopic bone formation.