Pt. Simonian et al., THE ACETABULAR T-TYPE FRACTURE - A BIOMECHANICAL EVALUATION OF INTERNAL-FIXATION, Clinical orthopaedics and related research, (314), 1995, pp. 234-240
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of different t
ypes of internal fixation requiring anterior, posterior, or combined s
urgical approaches for the T-type acetabular fracture, Eight specimens
were loaded 25 times in a cyclic manner to 150 N for each type of fix
ation construct evaluated, The model attempted to range the hip throug
h an are of motion anticipated in the limited activities expected afte
r surgery, Strain gauges were placed on the 3 fracture planes of the T
-type fracture, These gauges measured displacements, Internal fixation
consisted of a single anterior column plate, compared with a single p
osterior column plate, compared with simultaneous placement of both an
terior column and posterior column plates, The differences in displace
ments measured between the 3 types of fixation at each of the 3 fractu
re sites were not statistically significant, In evaluating motion at t
he anterior fracture line, the anterior plate made the largest contrib
ution to stability, although this result was not statistically signifi
cant, The posterior plate similarly contributed most to posterior frac
ture stability, although again not statistically significant, Each of
the 3 fixations controlled the inferior fracture line motions in a com
parable manner.