Treatment of pelvic fragility factures in the elderly patients via lateral-rectus approach / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the surgical method and clinical efficacy of lateral-rectus approach (LRA) in the treatment of fragility fractures of the pelvis (FFP) in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted for elderly FFP patients from January 2011 to December 2019. All the pelvic fractures should be exposed and reduced through LRA and fixed with pelvic reconstruction plates and channel screws. Then, a total of 30 elderly patients were included in the study, including 9 males and 21 females, with an average age of 72.5 years (range, 60-87 years). Fractures were caused by car accident in 5 cases, by falling from high places in 8 cases and by tumbling in 17 cases. According to the FFP classification, there were 6 cases of type IIc (6/30, 20%), 22 cases of type III (22/30, 73.33%, of which 13 cases were type IIIa, 7 cases were type IIIb, and 2 cases were type IIIc), 2 cases of type IVa (2/30, 6.67%). Among that, 2 cases suffered ipsilateral acetabular fractures, 17 suffered medical diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, etc., and none suffered extremities fractures or other types of injuries. Surgical field was exposed retroperitoneally through LRA, combined with lower limb traction to reduce the anterior and posterior pelvis ring fractures. Then, the reductions were done in direct visions and verified through X-ray fluoroscopy. After that, the posterior ring was fixed with reconstruction plate and/or sacroiliac screws, and the anterior ring was fixed with reconstruction plate or INFIX. The quality of fracture reduction was evaluated by Matta score and the postoperative function was evaluated by Majeed score.Results:All the 30 patients were surgical treated through LRA. The time from injury to operation was 5 to 20 days, with an average of 9.9 days. The operating time ranged from 35 to 150 min (mean, 73.5 min) and the intraoperative bleeding ranged from 220 to 2 400 ml (mean, 586.7 ml). Fractures were successfully reduced under direct vision and the positions of the plates and screws were monitored through X-ray fluoroscopy during the operation. Postoperative X-rays and CT scans showed satisfactory reduction of the pelvic ring. According to Matta criteria, the quality of fracture reduction was evaluated as excellent in 18 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 4 cases and poor in 2 cases. The overall excellent and good rate was 80% (24/30). All patients were followed up for 6-24 months, the fractures were all healed, and all fractures healed for 2-5 months, with an average of 3.5 months. At the last follow-up, Majeed scores were 86.1±6.11 (range, 66-92), including 21 excellent cases, 7 good cases and 2 fair cases, with an excellent and good rate of 93.3% (28/30). As for complications, 1 patient developed deep venous thrombosis of the affected lower limb, and the thrombosis disappeared after thrombolytic therapy. One patient had fat liquefaction in the incision, and the wound healed after intensive dressing change. After INFIX fixation, 2 patients showed numbness on the lateral thigh of the affected side, and the symptoms were relieved after symptomatic treatment. Four patients were found to have internal fixation screws loosening during follow-up, but still achieved good fracture healing.Conclusion:The entire hemipelvic ring could be exposed through LRA without cutting the peritoneum, so that the sacroiliac joint, ilium wing and anterior ring fractures could be reduced under direct version. In the treatment of pelvis fragility fractures of the elderly, effective reduction and fixation could be achieved using reconstruction plates or channel screws through LRA.