Clinical Medicine Insights: Trauma and Intensive Medicine

As the population ages, the incidence of osteoporotic fractures, including those of the pelvis and acetabulum, continues to rise. Treatment of the elder patients with an acetabular fracture is much more controversial than the treatment of younger patients with similar injuries, where prevention of posttraumatic arthritis and total hip replacement remains optimal to limit need for revision arthroplasty. Arthroplasty for fractures of the proximal femur is commonplace in an older population and is a mainstay of treatment to promote early mobilization and weight-bearing. However, even with acute total hip arthroplasty for a geriatric acetabular fracture, most surgeons do not permit immediate weight-bearing postoperatively. Therefore, controversy regarding optimal treatment of these challenging fractures persists. Four treatment options have emerged: nonoperative treatment with early mobilization, open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), limited open reduction and percutaneous screw fixation, and acute total hip arthroplasty. The exact indications and benefits of each treatment remain unknown. This article serves as a review of these four treatments and the data existing to support them.