ABSTRACT
Displaced fractures of the acetabulum are the result of significant skeletal trauma.
Historically, this was a relatively uncommon injury. The anatomic location of the
acetabulum, as well as the three-dimensional structure of the bone elements, make the
treatment of these injuries extremely challenging. The severity of these injuries is
demonstrated by the fact that early descriptions of acetabular fractures are the result of
autopsy findings of patients who had sustained significant trauma (1). Callisen in 1788
is said to have reported the case of an acetabular fracture, but without significant detail
in his description (1). In 1821, Cooper reported the first detailed description of an acet-
abular fracture. This case described autopsy findings in a patient with an associated
central dislocation of the femoral head into the pelvis (2). In 1909, Schroeder reported
a detailed compendium of the first 49 cases reported in the literature (1). The majority
of these are reports of autopsy findings in patients who died of complications related to
hemorrhagic shock or the late onset of intra-abdominal sepsis.
