The evidence for periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) when used in the management of acetabular retroversion remain limited. The review aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the indications for an anteverting PAO for acetabular retroversion? (2) When are other concomitant procedures required when performing anteverting PAO for acetabular retroversion? (3) To what extent is an anteverting PAO able to correct acetabular retroversion? (4) What are the clinical outcomes for an anteverting PAO when used in acetabular retroversion? (5) What is the estimated survival for anteverting PAO when used in the treatment of acetabular retroversion, before other procedures need to be performed? (6) What are the complications and the complication rates when an anteverting PAO is performed? (7) How do the outcomes of an anteverting PAO compare to other surgical procedures used in the management of acetabular retroversion?

The systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. The search was conducted using PubMed Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) from inception through 1 May 2020. The keywords used were “periacetabular osteotomy”. All studies that reported the outcomes of periacetabular osteotomy for acetabular retroversion were included. Each study's data was then retrieved individually. The study design, surgical technique, indications, outcomes and complications of each study were analysed.

Seven studies with 225 hips were included. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for a positive crossover sign and posterior wall sign preoperatively as compared to postoperatively were 456.31 (95% CI: 99.57 to 2091.28) and 53.45 (95% CI: 23.05 to 123.93) respectively. The pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) for studies with their mean preoperative LCEA and AI in the dysplastic range were 12.61 (95% CI: 6.54 to 18.68) and–15.0 (95% CI: −19.40 to −11.80) respectively, while the pooled WMD for studies with their mean preoperative LCEA and AI in the normal range were 3.43 (95% CI: 1.08 to 5.77) and –3.56 (95% CI: −5.29 to −1.83) respectively. Other indicators for acetabular retroversion correction, hip dysplasia correction, functional outcomes and range of motion were also significantly improved and sustained up till 11 years postoperatively. Only 7.1% of the hips required subsequent surgical procedures for impingement symptoms or progression of osteoarthritis, and the mean estimate for survival time across the studies was 123.90 months (95% CI: 119.94 to 127.86). The complication rates for low-grade complication were 31.6% while the rate for high-grade complications was 12.0%.

Anteverting PAO is indicated for symptomatic acetabular retroversion, and when performed, leads to good deformity correction for both acetabular retroversion and hip dysplasia, positive improvement in clinical outcomes sustainable till 11 years postoperatively and a mean estimated survival time of more than 10 years.

IV; Systematic review and meta-analysis.