Objectives: To report functional outcomes of displaced acetabular fractures treated nonoperatively in the geriatric patient population.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Setting: Two Level I trauma centers.
Patients: Twenty-seven patients 60 years of age or older who sustained displaced acetabular fractures during an 11-year period.
Intervention: Nonoperative treatment.
Main outcome measurements: Primary outcome measurements were Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and Short Form 8 (SF-8) scores. Secondary outcome measurements were conversion to open reduction and internal fixation or total hip arthroplasty and 1-year mortality.
Results: Twenty-six patients completed the WOMAC and SF-8 surveys. The overall WOMAC score was 12.9 ± 15.6 (range, 0-59.4). The average physical SF-8 was 51.1 ± 8.7 (range, 30.4-58.6), and the average mental SF-8 was 55 ± 6.2 (range, 30.4-58.6). The 1-year mortality rate was 24%. Conversion of treatment occurred in 15% of patients.
Conclusions: Elderly patients with fracture patterns that would qualify for operative treatment in younger healthy patients had surprisingly good outcome scores when treated nonoperatively.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.