Slotted acetabular augmentation: is a hip spica necessary?

Between 1988 and 1996, 16 patients who underwent a total of 18 slotted acetabular augmentation procedures were managed postoperatively without a spica cast, by using instead a protocol of limited weight bearing and restriction of hip range of motion. Postoperatively, no patients experienced hip stiffness. No patients exhibited any migration or change of position of their bone graft. Radiographic examination revealed the following: center-edge angle (CEA) averaged 3 degrees preoperatively and 54 degrees postoperatively. Acetabular index averaged 35 degrees preoperatively and 18 degrees postoperatively. No patients experienced any deleterious effects by not using a spica cast. We believe that by obviating the spica cast, we may ease the postoperative recovery for patients, avoid postoperative hip stiffness, and thereby expand the applications of this safe and reliable method of acetabular reconstruction in selected patients.