Photo Credit: Jakub Zerdzicki
The following is a summary of “Surgical treatment outcomes of the acetabular posterior wall and posterior column fractures using 3D printing technology and individualized custom-made metal plates: a retrospective study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Surgery by Zhang et al.
Fractures involving the posterior acetabulum, with its intricate vascular and neural network, pose significant challenges in trauma orthopedics. This study assesses the efficacy of 3D printing technology in conjunction with custom-made metal plates for treating posterior wall and column acetabular fractures.
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 31 patients who underwent surgical fixation for posterior wall and column fractures of the acetabulum. About 16 patients were treated using 3D printing technology, which involved creating a 1:1 pelvic model and custom-made plates based on preoperative simulations. Around 15 patients were treated using conventional methods. The study compared various metrics, including surgical and instrument operation times, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, intraoperative blood loss, fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, preoperative and 12-month postoperative pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS), hip joint function at 6 and 12 months (Harris scores), and complication rates.
The results indicated that the 3D printing group experienced significantly shorter surgical and instrument operation times (p < 0.001). Additionally, this group demonstrated notably lower intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency and blood loss (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). While no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, preoperative pain scores, and 6-month hip joint function (p > 0.05), the 3D printing group exhibited significantly better hip joint function and pain scores at 12 months (p < 0.05). Although complications were lower in the 3D printing group (18.8% vs. 33.3%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.433).
Integrating 3D printing technology with customized metal plates for treating posterior wall and column acetabular fractures offers considerable benefits. It reduces surgery and instrument time, minimizes intraoperative procedures and blood loss, and enhances long-term recovery of hip joint function. These findings support the adoption of 3D printing as a valuable tool in the surgical management of complex acetabular fractures.
Source: bmcsurg.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12893-024-02451-x
