Reducing Pain and Improving Quality of Life for Patients Suffering the Acetabular Fracture

• Published in: Collegium antropologicum Vol. 37; no. 1; p. 183
• Main Authors: Splavski, Bruno, Lovric, Ivan, Muzevic, Dario, Soldo, Ivan, Pinotic, Kresimir, Splavski, Brano
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Hrvatsko antropološko društvo 03.04.2013
• Subjects: acetabular fracture; hip joint; pain; quality of life; surgery
• ISSN: 0350-6134; 1848-9486

The rationale for this paper was to find out assessment tools and relevant factors that may reduce pain, and improve the quality of life and ability to perform activities of daily living in surgically and conservatively treated patients who sustained the acetabular fracture. One hundred and three patients with the acetabular injury were analysed during the 10-year retrospective case-control study. The case group consisted of 21 patients in whom the posterior acetabular wall was fractured and who were treated surgically. The control group comprised 82 patients with complex acetabular fracture in whom conservative treatment was applied. In order to assess post injury and postoperative quality of life different factors, such as the intensity and chronicity of pain, as well as the ability to resume activities of daily living, the patients were surveyed by anamnestic questionnaire to acquire the results. The quality of life was mostly better in patients from the case group who were operated on. At the follow-up, the features of pain were lower, management overall length shorter, and return to normal daily life activities faster in the surgically treated patients, compared to those who were not. In conclusion, based on our research we assume that surgery may notably decrease features of pain and improve the quality of life in patients with the acetabular injury.