An experimental research and follow-up study of the management of pelvic obliquity due to leg length inequality / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the method of surgical correction for pelvic obliquity secondary to leg length inequality. Methods Pelvic equilibrium operation is designed to correct the fixed pelvic obliquity, equilibrate the two lower limbs by bilateral iliac osteotomies with transfer of a block of iliac bone from the normal ilium into the abnormal ilium of the contralateral side. This procedure also corrects the associated acetabular dysplasia. Results In this series of 32 patients, none was lost to follow-up. Thirty-two patients, 19 males and 13 females, whose ages ranged from 14 to 34 years with a mean of 22 years, underwent surgery; twenty-four cases had fixed pelvic obliquity and acetabular dysplasia secondary to a short limb following anterior poliomyelitis. The deformities in seven cases were due to severe tuberculous infection in childhood which had resulted in a fixed adducted ankylosed hip. The pelvic equilibrium was caused by trauma in one case. During the review, the minimum time from surgery was 2 years and 6 months, and the maximum 13 years and 6 months with a mean of 6 years and 8 months. The results were excellent. Preoperatively, 29 patients walked on crutches, and postoperatively, 25 patients could walk unaided, one with a stick and three on single crutch. In this paper, we also presented the associated experiment research of pelvic equilibrium operation. Conclusion Pelvic equilibrium operation has been proved to be a new effective surgical correction method of pelvic obliquity secondary to leg length inequality.