Dega Transiliac Pelvic Osteotomy: the History of Surgical Technique Development

Abstract

Background. Wiktor Dega originally described the surgical technique of transiliac osteotomy in 1969 in the Polish Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery Journal. Its worldwide popularity spread just after it was presented in English by Grudziak and Ward in 2001 [1]. This paper aims to describe the development of the technique by Wiktor Dega’s team. Material and methods. An analysis of original papers published by Dega between 1929-1974 was performed to clarify the chronology of development of the technique. Results. Dega’s interest in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) had begun as early as 1929, when he presented in Vilnius a paper about the aetiology and pathogenesis of the disease. The concept of transiliac osteotomy had been initially based on König’s idea of shelf procedure. Dega called this procedure plastic surgery of the acetabular roof and performed it between 1927 and 1930. In 1964, Dega published a paper that described the basic concept of DDH treatment with a pelvic osteotomy termed supraacetabular semi-circular osteotomy. This procedure differed from transiliac osteotomy because it did not involve cutting the inner cortex of the ilium. In 1968 the first ‘technically proper’ transiliac osteotomy was performed and then described in 1969. In 1974, Dega emphasized that both the outer and inner iliac walls should be osteotomized in the transiliac osteotomy. Conclusion. The political situation of the 1950s and the 1960s made it difficult to freely exchange views and clinical experiences between the Western and Eastern political camps. Despite this, Wiktor Dega became a precursor of effective surgical treatment in DDH worldwide.