APACHE—Anterior Plating of the Acetabulum in Hemi-Endoscopic Technique: An Alternative Method for Internal Fixation of the Acetabulum

Abstract

Injuries of the acetabulum are often challenging in treatment and aftercare. One reason is the required surgical approach, which has high complication rates, including vascular lesion, hernias, and wound infection. We present an alternative endoscopic-assisted approach for the internal fixation of acetabular fractures to avoid the Pfannenstiel incision. An endoscopic approach similar to that used for endoscopic hernia surgery was used. The ilioinguinal approach’s lateral window was used to achieve reduction and insertion of a reconstruction plate. The purpose of this study is to describe a minimally invasive technique as a possible method to reduce hospitalization and complications. Another goal is to give detailed technical recommendations and to assess the potential pitfalls of this surgical approach. The APACHE technique is a safe and suitable minimally-invasive approach for the successful treatment of complex acetabular fractures and can be considered in similar cases.