The effectiveness of the Salter innominate osteotomy in the treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip.

A retrospective review of sixty-eight innominate osteotomies that were performed in fifty-four patients at a university teaching hospital was undertaken to compare the results of these operations with those published by Salter and by his colleagues and to see if the results were different when the procedure was combined with open reduction compared with when it was performed after open reduction. Over-all, nearly three-quarters of the patients had excellent or good radiographic and clinical results. Avascular necrosis occurred in four patients after open reduction and innominate osteotomy. Postoperatively, eight complications developed in seven patients. Innominate osteotomy improved coverage of the femoral head. There was no noticeable difference between the results of innominate osteotomy combined with open reduction and those of innominate osteotomy performed after a previous open reduction. The patients who had an open reduction combined with innominate osteotomy before the age of four years had better results and required fewer subsequent procedures than did patients who had the operation after that age.