Why Make the Cut? Trochanteric Slide Osteotomy Can Improve Exposure to the Anterosuperior Acetabulum

Posterior Exposure in Kocher-Langenbeck With Gluteus Minimus Debridement vs. the Gibson Approach: A Cadaveric Study

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the posterior acetabular exposure achieved with the Kocher-Langenbeck (K-L) with gluteus minimus debridement and Gibson approaches.

METHODS

A Kocher-Langenbeck approach and a subsequent Gibson approach on the contralateral hip were performed in the prone position on 9 fresh frozen cadavers. Calibrated digital images were obtained of the Kocher-Langenbeck exposure, Kocher-Langenbeck exposure after gluteus minimus debridement, and Gibson exposure. The surface area of the posterior hip and pelvis visualized with each approach was calculated and compared with the contralateral side to assess for the difference between exposures.

RESULTS

In 5 of the 9 cadavers, the Kocher-Langenbeck exposure before gluteus minimus debridement yielded an increased exposure in comparison with the Gibson approach, and the exposure was equivocal in 3 specimens. An increase of greater than 10% was considered significant. The exposure increased anteriorly and cranially by an average of 13.1 cm 2 after debridement of the gluteus minimus caudal to the superior gluteal neurovascular bundle in the Kocher-Langenbeck approach.

CONCLUSIONS

Debridement of the gluteus minimus caudal to the level of the superior gluteal neurovascular bundle can significantly increase anterior and cranial exposure in the Kocher-Langenbeck approach and provide similar areas of access when compared with that in the Gibson approach.

Midterm results of digastric trochanteric flip osteotomy for high acetabular posterior wall fracture

PURPOSE

Kocher-Langenbeck (K-L) approach is widely used in surgery of posterior wall fracture of acetabulum. However, challenges are frequently encountered in fractures involving the superior dome due to its short of view. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of digastric trochanteric flip osteotomy (DTFO) in the K-L approach for high posterior wall acetabular fracture (HPWF).

METHODS

From January 2014 to December 2016, 39 patients who suffered high posterior wall fracture (HPWF) were included in this retrospective study. All the patients were divided into two groups according to surgery type (17 standard K-L approach (control group), 22 with DTFO (DTFO group)). The Matta criterion was used to evaluate the accuracy of reduction according to post-operative CT image, while modified Harris hip score and 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12) were applied to measure the clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period was 55 (45 to 62.5) months. Blood loss and operation time were similar between the two groups. DTFO group achieved much more anatomical reduction than the control group (54.6% vs. 35.3%; OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.6 ~ 8.08). Significantly better functional outcomes were found in the DTFO group (10% higher points than the control group, p < 0.05). All the patients receiving good-to-anatomical reduction ended with good or excellent outcomes. The total incidence of complications in the DTFO group was much lower than in the control group (40.9% vs. 70.6%, p = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the traditional K-L approach, the intraoperative DTFO technique enabled better quality of reduction in patients with HPWF, thus ensuring superior clinical outcomes.