Early Surgical Intervention and Functional Outcome in Acetabulum Fracture

Aim of the study: To analyse the relationship between early surgical intervention and post-operative functional outcomes in acetabular fracture incidences. Time to surgery is a predictor of radiological and functional outcome for both simple and complex patterns of fracture. Methods: This is a cross sectional study done in a tertiary hospital for patient who have sustained acetabular fractures between January 2011 and December 2013 and had undergone surgical intervention, with a minimum follow-up duration of 1 year. Results: This study involved 47 cases where the mean age was 35.6 years old. For simple fractures, an increase in the time to surgery of one day reduced on average, the Harris Hip Score by 1.5 points. Whilst for complex fractures, reduction in the Harris Hip Score averaged 1.87 points daily. When time was measured as a categorical variable, an anatomical reduction was more likely if surgery was performed within 15 days (simple) and 5 days (complex). An excellent/good functional outcome was more likely when surgery was performed within 8 days for both simple and complex fracture patterns. Conclusions: The time to surgery is a significant predictor of radiological, functional outcome and post operative stay for both simple and complex displaced fractures of the acetabulum. The organisation of regional trauma services must be capable of satisfying these time-dependent requirements to achieve optimal patient outcomes.