Surgical Drill Guide for Insertion of an Infra-Acetabular Screw Based on an Anatomically Precontoured Plate System: A Cadaveric Study

• Published in: BioMed research international 2021, Vol.2021, p.1-7
• Main Authors: Freigang, Viola, Gottsauner, Maximilian, Rupp, Markus, Pfeifer, Christian, Grechenig, Stephan, Kerner, Alexander, Alt, Volker, Baumann, Florian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetabulum; Analysis; Bone implants; Buttresses; Cadavers; Cartilage; Computed tomography; Fixation; Fracture fixation; Fractures; Hip joint; Internal fixation in fractures; Management; Methods; Pelvis; Quadrilaterals; Software; Statistical analysis; Surgical techniques
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2021/2321504

Purpose. Due to the anatomic structure of the pelvis, free-hand placement of screws in the acetabular fracture management can be difficult. Infra-acetabular screw fixation increases acetabular stability by distal fixation of the cup. Aim of this cadaveric study is to investigate if a plate-referenced drill guide can provide save placement of an infra-acetabular screw over a precontoured suprapectineal quadrilateral buttress plate (SQBP). Methods. We constructed a drill guide for an infra-acetabular screw based on the surface of an anatomically precontoured SQBP. A total of 12 adult cadaveric acetabular specimens were used for drill guide-assisted placement of the infra-acetabular screw. The drill guide contains a radiopaque spiral to allow longitudinal fine adjustment of the SQBP along the pelvic brim to assure correct position of the plate-drill-guide construct in relation to the Koehler’s teardrop. After screw placement, we conducted a computed tomography (CT) scan of all specimens to assess the actual position of the screw in relation of the infra-acetabular corridor and the acetabular joint surface. Results. The position of the screw was within the infra-acetabular corridor in all cases. We did not see any intra-articular or intrapelvic screw penetration. The mean distance of the centerline of the screw to the medial border of the infra-acetabular corridor was 3.35 mm. The secure distance to the virtual surface of the femoral head to was 7.3 mm. Conclusions. A plate-referenced drill guide can provide safe placement of an infra-acetabular screw for treatment of acetabular fractures. Radiographic fine adjustment is necessary to access the optimal entry point.