[Acetabular anteversion angle of the hip in the Mexican adult population measured with computed tomography]

Knowledge of the radiogrametric characteristics of a specific skeletal segment in a healthy population is of the utmost clinical importance. The main justification for this study is that there is no published description of the radiogrametric parameter of acetabular anteversion in a healthy Mexican adult population.

A prospective, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. Individuals of both genders older than 18 years and orthopedically healthy were included. They underwent a two-dimensional axial tomographic study of both hips to measure the acetabular anteversion angles. The statistical analysis consisted of obtaining central trend and scatter measurements. A multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and statistical significance were performed.

118 individuals were studied, 60 males and 58 females, with a mean age of 47.7 +/- 16.7, and a range of 18-85 years. The anteversion of the entire group was 18.6 degrees + 4.1 degrees. Anteversion in males was 17.3 degrees +/- 3.5 degrees (10 degrees - 25 degrees) and in females 19.8 degrees +/- 4.7 degrees (10 degrees - 31 degrees). There were no statistically significant differences (p < or = 0.05) in right and left anteversion in the entire group. However, there were statistically significant differences (p > or = 0.005) both in the right and left sides when males and females were compared.

Our study showed that there are great variations in the anteversion ranges of a healthy population. When our results are compared with those published by other authors the mean of most measurements exceeds 15 degrees. This should be useful to make therapeutic decisions that involve acetabular anteversion.