Fractures of the Acetabulum

Book excerpt: It has been a pleasure to comply with requests to publish this book in English. During the intervening years, there has been little to add to our views as to the best management of acetabular fractures, but an additional chapter has been incorporated comprising recent findings in our patients and slight changes in emphasis on the indications for operations. Additionally, having recognised that one of the greatest difficulties in this method of treatment lies in the pre-operative assessment of the standard radiographs, we have prepared a short series of radiographs which the reader may find advantageous for study. We are grateful to Mr. Reginald Eison who has translated and revised the French edition. Considerable alteration of the text and the general presen tation was necessary in order to make the material palatable in English. Our thanks are due to our new publishers, Springer-Verlag, for their keen interest and skill. E. LETOURNEL R. JUDET Preface to the French Edition It is a long time since we first attempted surgical treatment of fractures of the acetabulum accompanied by displacement, with the aim of restoring perfect articulation. Such treatment demands an exact reconstitution of the anatomy of the acetabulum and pelvic bone. This volume comprises an account of our efforts to assess the place of open reduction and internal fixation of displaced fractures of the acetabulum. The principal aim is simple: the perfect restoration of the articular surface and the associated bony architecture.