Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Acetabular orientation: anatomical and functional measurement

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Acetabular orientation is important to consider in hip joint pathology and treatment. This study aims to describe the functional orientation of the acetabulum as a representative measure of force transmitted through the hip joint generated from bone density mapping and compare it to landmark-based anatomical orientation measures.

Methods

CT scans of 38 non-pathologic individuals were analyzed. Functional orientation was computed as the density-weighted average of the acetabular surface normals based on surface density maps. Two anatomical measures were also used to describe the orientation of each acetabulum: the normal to the acetabular rim plane and the abduction angle based on AP pelvic “Radiographs” generated from the CT data.

Results

The average functional and anatomic abduction and anteversion angles ranged from 32°–58° and 22°–31°, respectively, with significant side-to-side correlation in individual patients for the majority of measures. Functional acetabular orientation was weakly correlated only with the rim plane measure. Native acetabular abduction in the 3D anatomic and functional methods was significantly shallower than the 2D “Radiographic” measure. The vector generated to describe functional acetabular orientation was found to be more vertically and posteriorly oriented than the anatomic measures.

Conclusions

Functional acetabular orientation, reflecting the calculated directionality of the subchondral bone density, yields a more posterior and vertical measure of acetabular orientation as compared to the direction of load transmission suggested by the anatomic methods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Murray D (1993) The definition and measurement of acetabular orientation. J Bone Joint Surg Br 75: 228–232

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Maruyama M, Feinberg JR, Capello WN, D’Antonio JA (2001) Morphologic features of the acetabulum and femur - Anteversion angle and implant positioning. Clin Orthop 393: 52–65

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Nagao Y, Aoki H, Ishii SJ, Masuda T, Beppu M (2008) Radiographic method to measure the inclination angle of the acetabulum. J Orthop Sci 13: 62–71

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Stem ES, O’Connor MI, Kransdorf MJ, Crook J (2006) Computed tomography analysis of acetabular anteversion and abduction. Skeletal Radiol 35: 385–389

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Tallroth K, Lepisto J (2006) Computed tomography measurement of acetabular dimensions: normal values for correction of dysplasia. Acta Orthop 77: 598–602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dalstra M, Huiskes R (1995) Load transfer across the pelvic bone. J Biomech 28: 715–724

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Harada Y, Wevers HW, Cooke TD (1988) Distribution of bone strength in the proximal tibia. J Arthroplast 3: 167–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Johnston JD, Masri BA, Wilson DR (2009) Computed tomography topographic mapping of subchondral density (CT-TOMASD) in osteoarthritic and normal knees: methodological development and preliminary findings. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 17: 1319–1326

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Turner CH (1992) Functional determinants of bone structure: beyond Wolff’s law of bone transformation. Bone 13: 403–409

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lubovsky O, Peleg E, Joskowicz L, Liebergall M, Khoury A (2010) Acetabular orientation variability and symmetry based on CT scans of adults. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg 5: 449–454

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Lubovsky O, Wright D, Hardisty M, Kiss A, Kreder HJ, Whyne C (2011) Importance of the dome and posterior wall as evidenced by bone density mapping in the acetabulum. Clin Biomech 26(3): 262–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hardisty M, Gordon L, Agarwal P, Skrinskas T, Whyne C (2007) Quantitative characterization of metastatic disease in the spine. Part I. Semiautomated segmentation using atlas-based deformable registration and the level set method. Med Phys 34(8): 3127–3134

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wright D, Whyne C, Hardisty M, Kreder HJ, Lubovsky O (2011) Functional and anatomic orientation of the femoral head. Clin Orthop Relat Res (Epub ahead of print)

  14. Buckland-Wright JC, Lynch JA, Macfarlane DG (1996) Fractal signature analysis measures cancellous bone organisation in macroradiographs of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 55: 749–755

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bombelli R, Santore RF, Poss R (1984) Mechanics of the normal and osteoarthritic hip. A new perspective. Clin Orthop Relat Res 182: 69–78

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Carter DR (1984) Mechanical loading histories and cortical bone remodeling. Calcif Tissue Int 36: S19–S24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Cowin SC (1986) Wolff’s law of trabecular architecture at remodeling equilibrium. J Biomech Eng 108: 83–88

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bergmann G, Graichen F, Rohlmann A (1993) Hip joint loading during walking and running, measured in two patients. J Biomech 26: 969–990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bergmann G, Deuretzbacher G, Heller M, Graichen F, Rohlmann A, Strauss J, Duda GN (2001) Hip contact forces and gait patterns from routine activities. J Biomech 34: 859–871

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Afoke NY, Byers PD, Hutton WC (1987) Contact pressures in the human hip joint. J Bone Joint Surg Br 69: 536–541

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bay BK, Hamel AJ, Olson SA, Sharkey NA (1997) Statically equivalent load and support conditions produce different hip joint contact pressures and periacetabular strains. J Biomech 30: 193–196

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. von Eisenhart-Rothe R, Eckstein F, Muller-Gerbl M, Landgraf J, Rock C, Putz R (1997) Direct comparison of contact areas, contact stress and subchondral mineralization in human hip joint specimens. Anat Embryol 195: 279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Adams D, Swanson SA (1985) Direct measurement of local pressures in the cadaveric human hip joint during simulated level walking. Ann Rheum Dis 44: 658–666

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sadeghi H, Allard P, Prince F, Labelle H (2000) Symmetry and limb dominance in able-bodied gait: a review. Gait Posture 12: 34–45

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Muller-Gerbl M, Putz R, Kern R, Kierse R (1993) People in different age groups show different hip-joint morphology. Clin Biomech 8: 66–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. van Bosse HJ, Lee D, Henderson ER, Sala DA, Feldman DS (2011) Pelvic positioning creates error in CT acetabular measurements. Clin Orthop Relat Res 469(6): 1683–1691

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, UB19, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Omri Lubovsky, David Wright, Michael Hardisty & Cari Whyne

  2. Clinical Epidemiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, G1-38, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Alex Kiss

  3. Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, MG-365, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Hans Kreder

Authors
  1. Omri Lubovsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael Hardisty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alex Kiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hans Kreder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Cari Whyne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cari Whyne.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lubovsky, O., Wright, D., Hardisty, M. et al. Acetabular orientation: anatomical and functional measurement. Int J CARS 7, 233–240 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-011-0648-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-011-0648-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation