ABSTRACT
Objective To discuss clinical efficacy of the modified Stoppa approach in the treatment of acetabular anterior fractures.Methods From January 2011 to December 2014,22 patients with acetabular anterior fracture were treated at our department.They were 14 males and 8 females,with an average age of 36.6 years (range,from 18 to 49 years).By the LetourneI-Judet classification system,there were 9 anterior wall fractures,12 anterior column fractures,and one transverse fracture.The modified Stoppa approach was used for fracture reduction under direct visualization in this cohort.Fixation with reconstruction plate was conducted after satisfactory reduction was confirmed by the X-ray examination.The operative duration,incision length,bleeding volume,fracture reduction quality,function of the affected hip and complications were recorded.Results In this cohort,the incision length ranged from 6 to 15 cm,averaging 9.5 cm;the intraoperative bleeding volume ranged from 100 to 1,000 mL,averaging 550 mL;the operative duration ranged from 40 to 160 minutes,averaging 126.2 min.The 22 patients were followed up for an average of 15.5 months (from 12 to 18 months).According to the Matta imaging evaluation,the fracture reduction was rated as excellent in 18 cases,as good in 3 cases and as poor in one,yielding an excellent to good rate of 95.5％.According to the Harris scoring system,the function of the affected hip was assessed at the final follow-up as excellent in 12 cases,as good in 9 cases,and as poor in one case,giving an excellent to good rate of 95.5％.Traumatic arthritis occurred in one case;there were no such complications as reduction loss or implant failure.Conclusion The modified Stoppa approach is a satisfactory one for the treatment of unstable acetabular anterior fractures,owning to its advantages like minimal invasiveness,simple dissection,excellent visual control of reduction and fixation,and a low rate of complications.