Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
The Transition to an Anterior-Based Muscle Sparing Approach Improves Early Postoperative Function but is Associated with a Learning Curve
Published on: September 7, 2022
Acetabular component positioning in total hip arthroplasty with and without a computer-assisted system: a
Henrique M C Gurgel1, Alberto T Croci, Henrique A B A Cabrita
1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Imageless navigation and conventional methods showed similar outcomes for acetabular component positioning in total hip arthroplasty. Both techniques achieved comparable anteversion, inclination, and safe zone placement, indicating no significant difference in accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate acetabular component placement is crucial for total hip arthroplasty (THA) success.
- Traditional methods may have limitations in achieving precise component positioning.
- Navigational tools are increasingly explored to improve surgical accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of acetabular component positioning using imageless navigation versus the conventional method in THA.
- To evaluate operative anteversion, inclination, and placement within Lewinnek's safe zone for both techniques.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 40 THA patients (20 navigated, 20 conventional).
- Acetabular component position assessed via computed tomography (CT).
- Key parameters measured: operative anteversion, operative inclination, and percentage within Lewinnek's safe zone.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found between navigated and conventional groups for mean anteversion (17.4° vs. 14.5°, P=.215) and inclination (41.7° vs. 42.2°, P=.633).
- Deviations from desired anteversion (5.5° vs. 6.6°, P=.429) and inclination (3° vs. 3.2°, P=.783) were similar.
- Placement within Lewinnek's safe zone was comparable (90% vs. 80%, P=.661).
Conclusions:
- Imageless navigation and conventional methods yield similar results for acetabular component positioning in THA.
- CT analysis indicates comparable accuracy between the two surgical approaches.
- Current imageless navigation does not offer a significant advantage in achieving desired acetabular component alignment over conventional techniques.
