Introduction: Complex fracture of the acetabulum are difficult to treat. If an osteosynthesis is performed difficult surgery resulted in blood loss, long operating time, high risk of sepsis and failure. Even if the fracture is well operated and ideally stabilised there is a major risk of secondary osteoarthrosis. This can be related to bone necrosis , cartilage surface damage , bone loss.

There are also intraoperative risks of neural damage: sciatic nerve as well as gluteus medius nerve. On the other hand , modern surgical technique including an alumina against alumina bearing could allow very long term survival without any activity limitation and this even in very young patients.

Secondary procedure after a failed osteosynthesis provides statistically worse functional results than primary total hip. The surgery is more difficult because of hardware retrieval, nerve dissection, bone reconstruction and remaining muscular dysfunction.

Materials and Methods: To address these issues we reviewed our results of total hip for acetabular fractures. 80 patients received a total hip for acetabular fracture. From 1980 to 1998: 58 acetabular fractures in 57 patients sustained a total hip: 39 males and 18 females. Mean age: 50 years (from 21 to 80). 35 had had a conservative treatment, 22 had had an osteosynthesis. Delay between fracture and total hip: operated: 10 years, non-operated: 6 years. All prosthesis had an alumina against alumina couple. The stem was always made of titanium alloy, it was smooth, collared and cemented. The socket was plain alumina cemented 8, cement less : 3, metal back alumlina insert: 29, screw in cup with alumina liner: 10, plain polyethylene cemented: 8.

Results: Follow-up: from 6 months to 20 years (mean 5,5years). Last Postel Merle d’Aubigne rating: 16,1(8–18) 9 revisions : 1 bipolar aseptic loosening, 8 socket loosening : 2 septic , 6 aseptic. (2 screws in , 6 cemented).

There were 22 neural disorder; 19 sciatic palsies; 13 post trauma; 4 post osteosynthesis; 2 post THR; 3 gluteus medius palsy. 7 sepsis: 4 post osteosynthesis, 3 post THR (including 2 post osteosynthesis).

Discussion: The results presented were inferior to a regular total hip if an osteosynthesis have been performed previously. Reasons for these inferior results were limp due to previous palsy of gluteus medius nerve, sciatic sequellae, complications of previous sepsis and so on. In contrast cases who had at first orthopaedic treatment followed some weeks later by a total hip experienced very good results. It is difficult to conclude from this limited series. But we are actually on the way to modify our perspectives.

Many weak results could have been avoided by doing fine primary surgery. We could expect better functional results with less complications regarding sepsis, nerve damage, muscle preservation if we perform a primary total hip in conjunctions with acetabular reconstruction. Osteosynthesis is still recommended for simple acetabular fracture with large displacement involvement of the posterior wall or one column not comminuted.