Periacetabular osteotomy - Good pain relief in symptomatic hip dysplasia, 32 patients followed for 4 years

Background When surgical treatment of dysplastic hip osteoarthrosis is necessary, osteotomy is preferable to fusion or THR. We evaluated periacetabular osteotomy as a method of choice. Patients and methods We treated 36 symptomatic dysplastic hip joints (32 patients) with the Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) between 1994 and 2001. We used the ilio-inguinal (I-I) approach in 32 hips and a modified Smith-Petersen (S-P) approach in 4. The patients were followed for mean 4 (1.5-8) years. In 1 patient with coxa valga, a varus femoral osteotomy was performed 1 year after PAO. 2 hips, in which we used the modified S-P approach, necessitated a capsulotomy. Results The median Merle d'Aubigne score increased from 13 points preoperatively to 16 points postoperatively. This improvement in terms of pain, motion and ambulation was accompanied by spatial reorientation and correction. The lateral center edge angle of Wiberg (CE) improved from an average of 7 degrees to 28 degrees. The anterior center edge angle of Lequesne (FP) improved from an average of 18 degrees to 28 degrees. The acetabular index angle (AC) improved from an average of 22 degrees to 10 degrees. Major complications included 1 partial lesion of the sciatic nerve, 1 malunion and 1 combined nonunion of the pubic and ischiatic osteotomy. 2 patients underwent subsequent total hip replacement (THR) for progressive osteoarthrosis with pain. Interpretation We found good radiographic correction of deformities, improvement of hip function and pain relief with an acceptable complication rate. With appropriate patient selection, this procedure is the most physiological treatment of symptomatic hip dysplasia in young adults. In addition to relieving symptoms, it may prevent and postpone the development of secondary osteoarthrosis.