Selecting the incision for percutaneous hip pinning

The larger the distance between the skin and the greater trochanter, the more difficult it is to determine the precise spot to insert a guide pin to percutaneously fix a hip. This is made more difficult when the neck of the femur cannot be placed parallel with the floor. A new technique is described that will help to keep the incision short, particularly in obese patients. Preoperative marks are made on the skin to aid with pin placement. The lateral mark is made in the standard way. The anteroposterior mark is found, not from an arc, but from a plumb line.