Injury Extra (2008) 39, 143—146

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CASE REPORTS Early diagnosis of an incarcerated superior gluteal associated with an acetabular fracture using three-dimensional computed tomography reconstructions: A case report

Robert N. Reddix Jr.a,*, Lawrence X. Webb b a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of North Texas Health Science Center and John Peter Smith Hospital, 1500 South Main Street, Fort Worth, TX, United States b Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC, United States

Accepted 3 December 2007

Introduction Case report

Displaced acetabular fractures are among the most com- The patient was a 40-year-old male who was a restrained plex of all orthopaedic injuries. Keys to accurate reduction back seat passenger involved in a motor vehicle accident who and improved outcomes are accurate imaging studies and a presented to the regional level I trauma center for evaluation complete understanding of the nature of the fracture as and treatment. His past medical history was significant for well as potential complicating factors prior to surgical hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease. treatment. Traditionally, surgeons have relied upon ortho- He had no known drug allergies. His surgical history was gonal Judet views of the with two-dimensional (2D) significant for a 3-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting with computed tomography (CT) images as tools to use in order harvesting of his left radial artery at the wrist performed to formulate a preoperative plan, however, these modal- approximately 2 months prior to his presentation. His family ities may not communicate subtle characteristics of the medical history and social history were negative. After pri- fracture. We present the case of a 40-year-old patient with mary and secondary surveys were completed he was found to an associated left transverse posterior wall acetabular have a closed right distal radius fracture, a closed right fracture who was identified preoperatively as having an proximal phalanx fracture, and an associated left transverse incarcerated superior gluteal artery through the use of posterior wall acetabular fracture (Fig. 1). three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstructions. This informa- On the night of initial presentation, he was placed in tion was used in order to heighten surgeon awareness of this skeletal traction. A conventional pelvic CTscan was obtained pathoanatomy and to devise a complete preoperative plan from which 3D reconstructions were created and reviewed. which facilitated uneventful freeing of the artery and These better illustrated the injury as well as demonstrated fracture fixation. incarceration of the left superior gluteal artery in the frac- ture site (Figs. 2—4). Three days later the patient was medically optimised and * Corresponding author.Tel.: +1 817 927 1370; fax: +1 817 927 3955. was taken to the operating room. He underwent open reduc- E-mail address: [email protected] (R.N. Reddix Jr.). tion and internal fixation of his acetabular fracture through a

1572-3461 # 2007 Elsevier Ltd. Open access under the Elsevier OA license. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2007.12.003 144 R.N. Reddix Jr., L.X. Webb

Figure 1 Injury anterior—posterior pelvis plain radiograph.

Kocher-Langenbeck approach. The plan for the incarcerated Figure 3 Lateral 3D CT reconstruction of acetabular fracture vessel was to gently expose it and its accompanying nerve and with incarcerated artery. under direct visualisation free them from the fracture site. A combination of manipulation of the posterior column frag- ment and teasing the vessels out of the fracture plane prior to Discussion reduction was the planned series of maneuvers. If this was not successful, then the alternate plan was to cut the part of Imaging has been used in conjunction with pelvic and the posterior column corresponding to the posterior portion acetabular fracture evaluation to search for potential of the apex of the sciatic notch so as to avoid the entrapment vascular problems previously,9 but was used mainly to help of the vessels and nerve by the reduction. Intraoperatively, guide angiographic intervention as opposed to assist in the incarceration of the artery was confirmed (Fig. 5) and preoperative planning. To date, no published work has easily freed as a result of our preoperative planning. The been done to use imaging of the injured patient’s vascu- fracture was then addressed with an uneventful open reduc- lature for preoperative planning for acetabular fracture tion and internal fixation in standard fashion (Fig. 6). The surgery. patient was neurovascularly intact after the completion of The superior gluteal artery and nerve compose an impor- the procedure and underwent an uneventful postoperative tant neurovascular bundle that exits the pelvis through the and rehabilitative course without any residual neuromuscular greater sciatic notch above the piriformis. The superior deficits at final follow-up. gluteal artery provides primary circulation to the lower

Figure 2 Magnified 3D CT reconstruction of acetabular frac- Figure 4 Posterior 3D CTreconstruction of acetabular fracture ture with incarcerated artery. with incarcerated artery. Early diagnosis of an acetabular fracture using three-dimensional computed tomography reconstructions 145

reported a superior gluteal artery disruption with an acet- abular fracture, but again this injury was not found in the preoperative planning phase of the patient’s care.6 Other groups have reported disastrous consequences when these injuries have been discovered late in the patient’s treat- ment course.2,10 Advances in radiology and the power of computers have made possible highly accurate virtual representations of human anatomy.1,3 Most 3D computer reconstructions allow manipulations of images in multiple planes, as well as sub- traction of nonessential anatomy, casts, and splints. Frac- tures can be rotated to simulate vantage points from different surgical approaches, or viewed from inside out to fully depict articular topography. Depending upon the power and capabilities of the computer program, soft tissue win- dows can be manipulated to demonstrate or highlight mus- Figure 5 Intraoperative photograph of incarcerated artery cles, tendons, or blood vessels. Our institution utilises a (artery just superior to ball spike pusher). program named TeraRecon (San Mateo, California) which allows the viewing and manipulation of 3D CT reconstruction one third of the . The vessel provides the images that are derived directly from the patient’s CT data major blood supply to and minimus, although set. The reconstruction is available immediately after images work by Reilly et al. seems to indicate that at least in some are obtained at the time of initial presentation in the emer- patients there is an anastamotic supply to the abductors gency department. This powerful program allows traumatol- that may be adequate in cases of arterial injury.7 The super- ogists to use these images in conjunction with traditional ior gluteal nerve supplies innervation to the tensor fasciae plain X-rays and CT images to more clearly understand all latae as well as the gluteus medius and minimus, principle aspects of the patient’s pelvic or acetabular injury. A pre- abductors of the hip. operative plan can quite readily be derived from these highly Other authors have reported on arterial injury or detailed images. The authors have now regularly been using entrapment associated with acetabular fractures. O’Neill the program to enhance preoperative planning for traumatic et al. found that in a series of 35 patients with pelvic fracture surgery. They have found the modality to also be fracture and arterial injury, the most commonly injured most useful in anticipating other features of the pathoanat- artery was the pudendal artery with the superior gluteal omy including a Morel-Lavalle lesion, a corona mortis ana- artery as the most commonly injured vessel associated stomosis between the external iliac and obturator vessels, with posterior pelvic fractures.5 Huijbregts et al. reported femoral head deformation and marginal impaction of the onacaseofanexternaliliacveinentrappedinanasso- joint surface, each of which is the subject of another report. ciated both-column acetabular fracture.4 Their case of Based on these findings, we use this program routinely to best entrapment was found intraoperatively and not suspected depict the details and pathoanatomy of pelvic and acetabular prior to the start of the case. Ruotolo et al. reported on fractures managed at our center. two cases of acetabular fractures with vascular injury, but these cases were found as a result of ominous clinical signs that forced further invasive investigation.8 Patel et al. also References

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