Objective:To explore the surgical technique and clinical results of the lateral-rectus approach (LRA) for acetabular fractures combined with ipsilateral greater sciatic notch fractures.Methods:Nine cases of acetabular fractures combined with ipsilateral greater sciatic notch fractures treated by the LRA from January 2015 to January 2021 were involved in this study, including 7 males and 2 females with age of 39.8±15.4 years (range, 25-54 years). Six cases were injured by falling and the others by traffic accidents. There were 3 cases combined with pelvic fractures, 1 combined with craniocerebral injury, 3 combined with thoracic injury, 2 combined with closed abdominal injury, and 3 combined with other fractures of the extremities. Based on the Letournel-Judet classification, the cases were all classified as double-column acetabular fractures. The fractures of the greater sciatic notch are all fractures with obvious displacement from the lower part of the sacroiliac joint through the top of the greater sciatic notch to the posterior column of the acetabulum. Pelvic X-ray and CT examination were performed after operation. The reduction quality of the acetabulum and greater sciatic foramen was evaluated by Matta's criteria. The function of the hip joint was assessed by modified Merle D'Aubigné-Postel score.Results:All 9 patients were successfully completed the operation, and followed up. The operation time was 140.4±55.2 min (range, 110-190 min). The amount of intraoperative blood loss was 770.5±430.9 ml (range, 540-1,260 ml). All cases of fractures had healed in 7.7±3.4 weeks (range, 6-12 weeks) after operation. According to Matta's reduction quality criteria, the quality of fracture reduction after surgery was excellent in 7 cases and good in 2 cases. The follow-up period was 24.8±8.8 months (range, 6-12 months). Fractures of the acetabulum and greater sciatic foramen healed well, with the healing time of 6 to 12 weeks. There were no complications such as loss of fracture reduction, failure of internal fixation, traumatic arthritis or necrosis of femoral head. Matta's modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel hip function score was 16.2±0.6 (range, 12-18) one year after surgery. There were excellent in 6 cases, good in 2 cases, fair in 1 case, with an excellent and good rate of 89%.Conclusion:Fractures of the acetabulum and ipsilateral greater sciatic notch are serious injuries with difficulty in surgical reduction and fixation. The LRA can better complete reduction and fixation of the above fractures, obtaining satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the surgical technique and the clinical effects of direct posterior approach (DPA) with the fixation of percutaneous tunnel screw and plate for acetabular posterior comminuted fractures.Methods:Thirty-six cases with acetabular posterior comminuted fractures treated by this technique from January 2016 to July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. There were 28 males and 8 female, aged 42.0±12.1 (range 19-64) years. According to Letournel-Judet classification, there were 28 cases of transverse associated with posterior wall fractures, 6 cases of posterior column with posterior wall fractures and 2 cases of T shape with posterior wall fractures. DPA was adopted in prone position. The anterior and posterior column fractures of the acetabulum were reduced under direct vision and then fixed with percutaneous tunnel screw. Further, the posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum were reduced and fixed with plate and screws. The operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, fracture union time, fracture reduction quality, postoperative complications and hip function were recorded.Results:The incision was 9.8±1.2 (range 8-12) cm. The operation duration was 102.9±21.4 (range 65-145) min. Intraoperative bleeding was 214.0±116.9 (range 100-640) ml. Postoperative X-ray and CT examinations showed perfect reduction. All the patients were followed up for 20.9±9.2 (range 10-38) months. The fracture healing time was 4.6±1.0 (range 3-6) months. There was no patient with damaged superior gluteal nerve and blood vessel. There were 2 cases of femoral head cystic changes without pain in walking, 1 case of postoperative infection and bacteremia who was cured at 1 month after debridement and anti-infection treatment, 1 case of sciatic nerve injury but recovered at 3 months after operation, and 1 case of heterotopic ossification at 3 months after surgery without affecting hip motion. According to the Matta's criteria, the reduction quality of the acetabular fracture was rated as excellent in 28 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 2 cases. According to the modified Merle D'Aubigné and Postel scoring system, hip joint function was excellent in 24 cases, good in 10 cases and fair in 2 cases.Conclusion:DPA approach can directly reduce acetabular posterior comminuted fractures through a minimal incision. Combined with the technique of percutaneous tunnel screw, it displays great advantages of less trauma and with good clinical effects.

Objective:To establish the classification system of sacroiliac joint dislocation with ipsilateral sacral wing fracture (SJDISWF), examine its reliability and evaluate the clinical application.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 20 SJDISWF patients admitted to Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University and Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2016 to December 2019. There were 8 males and 12 females, aged from 13-58 years［(34.7±13.2)years］. Based on the direction of sacral displacement, SJDISWF was divided into 3 types. Type I: the sacroiliac joint dislocated and the ipsilateral sacral wing fracture fragment was anteriorly prolapsed; Type II: the sacroiliac joint dislocated, the ipsilateral sacral wing fracture fragment was compressed or crushed, the anterior sacral foramen may fractured; Type III: the sacroiliac joint dislocated and the ipsilateral sacral wing fracture end was inserted into the sacral canal, causing an intra-sacral canal occupation. The reliability of the classification was performed based on the assessment results of two phases in four observers at 4-week intervals. Treatments were utilized based on the types I, II, III fractures, including anterior approach for open reduction and internal fixation, closed reduction and internal fixation or posterior approach for open reduction and internal fixation respectively. Postoperative fracture healing time was recorded. Quality of fracture reduction was graded according to Matta′s criteria. Majeed functional score was recorded at postoperative 3 months, 6 months and the final follow-up. Complications were detected as well.Results:The overall Kappa value of inter-observer reliability was 0.890. The overall Kappa value of intra-observer reliability was 0.854. There were 12 patients with type I, 7 with type II and 1 with type III. All patients went through the procedure uneventfully and were followed up for 6-36 months［(20.0±8.7)months］. All patients achieved clinical healing in 8-14 weeks［(10.2±1.7)weeks］. According to the Matta′s criteria for fracture reduction, the outcome was excellent or good in 83% (10/12) for type I, 71% (5/7) for type II and 0% (0/1) for type III, with the overall excellent rate of 75%. Majeed functional score was (74.6±5.2)points at postoperative 3 months and (84.4±5.8)points at postoperative 6 months ( P<0.01). According to Majeed functional score, the outcome was excellent or good in 75% (9/12) for type I, 100% (7/7) for type II and 0% (0/1) for type III at the final follow-up, with the overall excellent rate of 80%. There were no complications such as lateral femoral cutaneous nerve or sciatic nerve injury, lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, sacroiliac joint pain, failure of internal fixation or loss of fracture reduction during the follow-up. Conclusions:The SJDISWF classification has high reliability. The classification-oriented treatment strategy has achieved a relatively satisfactory restoration and functional recovery, indicating that the classification plays a certain role in guiding treatment selection for SJDISWF.

Objective:To explore the surgical methods and treatment effects of adult anterior dislocation of the sacroiliac joint (AADSJ).Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 25 cases admitted in 5 clinical centers (affiliations of authors in this article) from January 2016 to January 2021. There were 18 males and 7 females, aged 38.8±15.5 years (range, 18-83 years). The AADSJ clinical classification system was formulated based on the radiographic morphology of anterior dislocation of the sacroiliac joint, which includes two types. Type I: complete anterior dislocation of the sacroiliac joint, and displacement of the entire iliac auricular surface to the front of the sacrum. Type II: fracture of the sacroiliac joint combined with anterior dislocation, subdivided into 3 subtypes. Type IIa: iliac fracture involves the anterior 1/3 of the sacroiliac joint, and dislocation of the ilium anterior to the sacrum. Type IIb: iliac fracture involves the posterior 2/3 of the sacroiliac joint, and dislocation of the ilium anterior to the sacrum. Type IIc: iliac fracture involves the posterior 2/3 of the sacroiliac joint, and dislocation of the ilium anteromedial to the sacrum. The reliability and repeatability of the clinical classification, Tile classification and Young-Burgess classification were performed based on the results of two-phase assessments in four observers. The operations were performed by the lateral-rectus approach and the ilioinguinal approach. The operation time and intraoperative bleeding were recorded. Pelvic X-ray and CT scan were rechecked after the operation. The quality of fracture reduction was evaluated according to Matta score. The postoperative functional rehabilitation was evaluated according to the Majeed rehabilitation standard at one-year follow-up.Results:Among 25 cases in this study, there were 3 cases of Type I, 5 cases of Type IIa, 9 cases of Type IIb and 8 cases of Type IIc according to the clinical classification system. The Kappa values of reliability tests for the clinical classification, Tile classification and Young-Burgess classification were 0.681, 0.328 and 0.383, respectively. The Kappa values of repeatability tests for the clinical classification, Tile classification and Young-Burgess classification were 0.690, 0.221 and 0.395, respectively. The reliability and repeatability of the AADSJ clinical classification were significantly better than other classifications. There were 14 cases underwent lateral rectus abdominis approach and 11 cases underwent ilioinguinal approach. The operative time for managing anterior dislocation of the sacroiliac joint was 122.0±50.7 min (range, 65-148 min) through the lateral rectus abdominis approach, and through the ilioinguinal approach was 178.0±49.9 min (range, 110-270 min), with a significant difference ( t=2.76, P=0.011). The amount of intraoperative blood loss through the lateral rectus approach was 680±330 ml (range, 350-2,120 ml), which was significantly less than that through the ilioinguinal approach (1,660±968 ml, 680-3,300 ml), with a significant difference ( t=3.55, P=0.002). The follow-up period was 1-3 years. At one week after surgery, the quality of fracture reduction evaluated by Matta score showed that the excellent and good reduction rate of the lateral-rectus approach was 79% (11/14), and that of the ilioinguinal approach was 73% (11/14), with no statistically significant difference ( P=1.000). At a one-year follow-up, according to Majeed's criteria, the overall excellent and good rate of the lateral-rectus approach was 64% (9/14), which is similar to 64% (7/11) of that of the ilioinguinal approach. No fracture reduction loss or internal fixation loosening failure occurred. Conclusion:The AADSJ clinical classification system can accurately describe the imaging features and clinical manifestations of AADSJ, with high reliability and repeatability. The AADSJ can be treated by the lateral-rectus approach or the ilioinguinal approach, with similar therapeutic effects but the former having less trauma.

Objective:To investigate the surgical method of LC-II screws for fragility fractures of the pelvis (FFP) in the elderly and evaluate its clinical efficacy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 45 patients with FFPs operated in our department from January 2011 to January 2022. The clinical information was as follows. The FFP classification of pelvic fracture was IIIA in 26 cases and IIIB in 19 cases. Among them, 22 cases were fixed with closed reduction and modified LC-II screws (experimental group), and 23 cases were fixed with open reduction and reconstruction plates (control group). In the experimental group, there were 6 males and 16 females. The age range was 62-90 years, with an average of 73.2±9.2 years. The FFP classification of pelvic fracture was IIIA in 12 cases and IIIB in 10 cases. In the control group, there were 8 males and 15 females. The age range was 60-87 years, with an average of 72.8±6.6 years. FFP classification of pelvic fracture was IIIA in 14 cases and IIIB in 9 cases. After admission, pelvic X-ray and CT scan were performed, and the surgery was prepared. In the experimental group, after closed reduction of the posterior ring, the modified LC-II screw was inserted below the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) toward the sacroiliac joint and penetrated the sacroiliac joint. For combined anterior ring fractures, the INFIX was used for anterior ring fixation. In the control group, the posterior ring was fixed with a reconstruction plate and/or sacroiliac screw after open reduction through the lateral rectus approach (LRA). The clinical efficacy was evaluated between the experimental group and the control group.Results:All 45 patients were successfully operated and followed up for 6 months to 3 years. All the pelvic fractures healed. In the experimental group of 22 cases, the time from injury to operation was 3-9 days, with an average of 5.8±1.9 days; the operation time was 25-70 min, with an average of 42.0±12.9 min. The intraoperative bleeding was 20-40 ml, with an average of 29.1±6.7 ml. According to the X-ray reduction evaluation criteria of Matta, 7 cases were excellent, 11 cases were good and 4 cases were medium, with an excellent and good rate of 81.8%. According to rehabilitation criteria of Majeed, 10 cases were excellent, 6 cases were good and 6 cases were fair, with a total excellent and good rate of 72.7%. At the last follow-up, sacroiliac joint pain was evaluated by VAS score: 0 in 10 cases, <3 in 7 cases, and 4-6 in 5 cases. No internal fixation loosening occurred. In the control group, the time from injury to operation was 5-20 days, with an average of 9.9±3.8 days; the operation time was 50-150 min, with an average of 89.1±29.5 min; the intraoperative bleeding was 220-1 000 ml, with an average of 509.2±214.3 ml. According to the X-ray reduction evaluation criteria of Matta, 16 cases were excellent, 4 cases were good and 3 cases was medium, with an excellent and good rate of 87.0%. According to rehabilitation criteria of Majeed, 12 cases were excellent, 6 cases were good and 7 cases were fair, with a total excellent and good rate of 78.3%. At the last follow-up, sacroiliac joint pain was evaluated by VAS score: 0 in 14 cases, <3 in 6 cases, and 4-6 in 3 cases. In the control group, posterior ring plate loosening was found in 2 cases and anterior ring pubic ramus plate and screw loosening was found in 4 cases, but there was no reduction loss.Conclusion:The modified LC-II screw is theoretically feasible in the treatment of FFP. Preliminary clinical results show good safety and efficacy, providing a new idea for minimally invasive treatment of FFP.

Objective:To investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of the lateral-rectus approach combined with the Pfannenstiel approach in the treatment of pelvic fractures complicated with urethral rupture.Methods:From January 2013 to June 2021, 20 patients with pelvic fracture complicated with urethral rupture were surgically managed through the lateral-rectus approach and the Pfannenstiel approach at Department of Traumatic Surgery, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University. They were 15 males and 5 females, with an average age of 42 years (from 18 to 55 years). By the Tile classification, there were 11 cases of type B and 9 cases of type C. The first-stage urethral realignment was performed via the Pfannenstiel approach in the supine position after general anesthesia in conjunction with an urologist; at the second-stage, the lateral-rectus approach was used to reduce and fixate the acetabular or pelvic fractures. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture reduction quality, pelvic functional recovery and complications were documented.Results:In this cohort, the operation time ranged from 80 to 240 min, averaging 140.5 min; the time for simple urethral convergence ranged from 20 to 30 min; the intraoperative blood loss ranged from 400 mL to 2,000 mL, averaging 730 mL. According to the Mears andVelyvis evaluation for fracture reduction quality, anatomical reduction was achieved in 13 cases, satisfactory reduction in 6 cases, and unsatisfactory reduction in one. The 20 patients were followed up for 12 to 68 months (mean, 37 months) after surgery. One fracture got nonunited but the other fractures got united after 3.0 to 4.5 months (mean, 3.5 months). According to the Majeed scoring system, the pelvic function at 12 months after surgery was excellent in 12 cases, good in 6 and fair in 2, giving an excellent and good rate of 90% (18/20). Screw loosening was found in one patient, traction injury to the lumbosacral trunk nerve in another patient, varying degrees of dysuria which responded to periodic urethral dilation in 8 patients, urethral stricture in 3 patients and erectile dysfunction in 5 patients. No abdominal hernia or pelvic infection was observed.Conclusions:The lateral-rectus approach combined with the Pfannenstiel approach can be used effectively to reduce and fixate the pelvic and acetabular fractures, and to repair the urethral rupture in one stage as well. They are also safe due to a low incidence of such complications as abdominal wall hernia and pelvic infection.