Monitoring of somatosensory and motor evoked potentials during open reduction and internal fixation of pelvis and acetabular fractures

Monitoring of motor and somatosensory evoked potentials provides instantane ous intraoperative assessment of a patient's neurologic status. Monitoring of the sciatic nerve through motor and somatosensory evoked potentials can be used during open reduction and internal fixation of pelvic and acetabula r fractures. A review of 12 pelvic and acetabular fractures treated with op en reduction and internal fixation was conducted and assessed with a combin ation of introperative motor and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring. Results revealed intraoperative motor evoked potential monitoring was 100% sensitive and 100% specific in predicting postoperative sciatic nerve defi cits, whereas somatosensory evoked potentials were not accurate in predicti ng postoperative sciatic nerve deficits. Combined monitoring of the sciatic nerve with motor and somatosensory evoked potentials is beneficial at pred icting postoperative sciatic nerve deficits during open reduction and inter nal fixation of pelvic and acetabular fractures.