Evaluation of the anterior acetabular coverage with a false profile radiograph considering appropriate range of positioning

This study aimed to (1) set a reference value for anterior center edge angle (ACEA) for preoperative planning of periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), (2) investigate the effects of pelvic rotation and inclination from false profile (FP) radiographs on the measured ACEA, and (3) determine the “appropriate range of positioning” for FP radiograph. This single-centered, retrospective study analyzed 61 patients (61 hips) who underwent PAO from April 2018 and May 2021. ACEA was measured in each digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) image of the FP radiograph reconstructed in different degrees of pelvic rotation. Detailed simulations were performed to determine the “appropriate range of positioning” (0.67 < ratio of the distance between the femoral heads to the diameter of the femoral head < 1.0). The vertical-center-anterior (VCA) angle was measured on the CT sagittal plane considering the patient-specific standing positions, and its correlation with the ACEA was investigated. The reference value of ACEA was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The ACEA measurement increased by 0.35° for every 1° pelvic rotation approaching the true lateral view. The pelvic rotation with the “appropriate range of positioning” was found at 5.0° (63.3–68.3°). The ACEA on the FP radiographs showed a good correlation with the VCA angle. The ROC curve revealed that an ACEA < 13.6° was associated with inadequate anterior coverage (VCA < 32°). Our findings suggest that during preoperative PAO planning, an ACEA < 13.6° on FP radiographs indicates insufficient anterior acetabular coverage. Images with the “appropriate positioning” can also have a measurement error of 1.7° due to the pelvic rotation.