2013 AAOS Annual Meeting: Indomethacin does not Prevent Heterotopic Ossification After Operative Fixation of Acetabular Fractures

98 patients with acetabular fractures who underwent surgical fixation were randomized into four groups to determine the abundance of heterotopic ossification, non-union, and differences in pain and function with varying durations of indomethacin treatment. The first Group consisted of a placebo for 6 weeks, group 2 consisted of 3 days of indomethacin followed by placebo for a total of 6 weeks, group 3 consisted of 1 week of indomethacin followed by 5 weeks of placebo, and group 4 consisted of 6 weeks of indomethacin treatment. After 1 year of evaluation, indomethacin did not affect the incidence or volume of clinically significant heterotopic ossification and increased the symptomatic non-union of posterior wall according to VAS pain and CT scans.