Early Stabilization Does Not Increase Complication Rates in Acetabular Fractures of the Elderly: A Retrospective Analysis from the German Pelvis Registry

This study investigates the best timing for surgery for acetabular fractures (fractures of the hip socket) in elderly patients. Acetabular fractures can result in significant disability and decreased quality of life if not treated appropriately. The research compared patients who had surgery within 48 hours of the injury, between 2 and 4 days, and after 4 days to see if early surgery increased complications. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the data from the German Pelvis Registry to determine if an optimal time for surgery of acetabular fractures could be detected. The study found that while older patients had more complications overall, the timing of the surgery did not significantly affect the complication rate. The optimal time for surgery cannot be determined using the current data.

• 1
  The complication rate of the geriatric group was twice as high as that of younger patients; however, this finding was independent of the timing of surgery.
• 2
  Reduction quality and hospital stay were independent of surgical timing.
• 3
  Early surgery within 48 h following acetabular fractures does not increase the complication rate in both—the overall group and the geriatric subgroup