Can hip anatomy be reconstructed with femoral components having only one neck morphology? A study on 466 hips

This extensive radiographic study asks if there is a statistical relationship between the size of the stem that will best fit the femur and the vertical and lateral offsets of the reconstructed acetabular center, what is the distribution of vertical and lateral offsets in this large and if there is a statistical difference among surgeons in the planned location of the reconstructed acetabular center. On 466 radiographs, five surgeons separately templated stem size and acetabular cup location. The vertical and horizontal coordinates of the reconstructed acetabulum center were measured relative to the planned position of the stem. We found a strong correlation between the stem size and the average lateral and vertical offsets. Acetabular reaming associated with the anatomic variability of native femoral necks, leads to a span of 36 mm in lateral offset, and a span of 39 mm in vertical offset. Statistically significant differences were also found in the way surgeons plan acetabular reaming.