Objective: To study the clinical significance of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosis and treatment of acetabular fractures.
Methods: The plain and CT films of the 66 cases of acetabular fracture from January 2001 to June 2002 were analyzed retrospectively, and the radiological characteristics and results were compared to each other.
Results: The diagnosis of 6 cases were changed after CT examination, and the occurrence ratio of marginal impaction, free body in joint, femoral head fracture, sacro-iliac injury and ischial tubersoity fracture involvement were 3:17, 7:29, 6:15, 0:5 and 1:5 in plain and CT examination respectively.
Conclusions: CT examination has the determinative role in detecting weight-bearing zone, marginal impaction, free body, femoral head fracture, sacro-iliac injury, etc., and for completing the diagnosis and guiding the treatment. It should be the routine examination just as the three standard plain examinations in acetabular fractures, and should be carefully read.