Analysis of acetabular version: Retroversion prevalence, age, side and gender correlations

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic imaging
• Anatomy
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Previous studies reported acetabular retroversion prevalence up to 25% using conventional radiography and CT.
• Acetabular version, gender, age, and side differences require detailed investigation in large cohorts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report detailed acetabular version, gender, age, and side differences in a large cohort.
• To assess the prevalence of acetabular retroversion in young adults using CT.

Main Methods:

• A total of 404 patients aged 16-40 years underwent whole-body CT scans.
• Acetabular version was measured in the transversal plane at cranial, central, and caudal levels.

Main Results:

• Retroverted acetabulum prevalence was 0.25% (95% CI 0-0.7%).
• Average central anteversion was 16.46° (±4.42) in men and 19.31° (±5.04) in women (p < 0.001).
• Acetabular version showed a trend of increasing with age (p = 0.068).

Conclusions:

• Women have a higher average acetabular version than men.
• Retroversion has a low prevalence in young adults when measured by conventional CT.
• Approximately 10% of the population exhibits significantly different contralateral acetabular version.