Acetabular retroversion: functional or anatomical?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Acetabular retroversion (AR) is a condition affecting hip joint biomechanics.
• Understanding AR's nature, whether structural or functional, is key for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if acetabular retroversion (AR) is a structural pelvic abnormality or a functional positioning phenomenon.
• To assess the impact of patient-specific functional positioning on AR extent.

Main Methods:

• Comparative radiological study of AR patients and asymptomatic controls.
• CT scans analyzed for pelvic rotation and acetabular version, with sagittal plane alignment.
• Measurements correlated with pelvic tilt in standing and supine positions.

Main Results:

• AR patients exhibited increased hemipelvis external rotation and iliac wing anterior projection.
• Acetabular retroversion was more pronounced in the supine position compared to standing.
• Changes in acetabular version directly correlated with sagittal pelvic tilt.

Conclusions:

• Symptomatic AR involves both hemipelvic rotation and iliac wing morphology.
• Functional pelvic positioning significantly influences AR measurements.
• Findings are critical for surgeons planning periacetabular osteotomy for AR correction.