The Salter innominate osteotomy for the treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in young adults

The results were evaluated for 29 adult patients (33 hips) who had undergon e a Salter innominate osteotomy because of painful developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The mean age at the time of the index operation was 24.8 years (range 19-35 years), and the mean duration of follow-up was 3.5 years (range 2-8 years). Complications included one non-union and one dislocatio n of the osteotomy after a fall; both patients had to undergo re-operation. The mean Harris hip score improved from 65 points preoperatively to 82 poi nts at the latest follow-up examination. In hips with no coxarthrosis (n = 11), the mean Harris hip score improved from 78 points to 89 points; in hip s with coxarthrosis grade 1 (n = 15), it improved from 59 points to 85 poin ts, while in hips with coxarthrosis grade 2 (n = 7), it improved only from 57 to 68 points. There was a diminution of coxarthrosis in 11 hips, no chan ge in 17, and worsening in 5 hips. The mean center-edge angle of Wiberg was 11.2 deg (range 0-19 deg) preoperatively compared with 27.4 deg (range 21- 37.5 deg) postoperatively and 27.6 deg at the latest follow-up examination. Our findings demonstrate that the Salter innominate osteotomy provides cli nical improvement as well as radiographic improvement in adult patients wit h DDH, and this procedure is, compared with more complex pelvic osteotomies , a relatively simple and safe procedure with a low risk of complications.