Acetabular rim length: an anatomical study to determine reasonable graft sizes for labral reconstruction

The purpose of this article is to determine normative values for the length of the acetabular rim and detect differences between gender, age, ethnicity, height and leg length. Six measurements were taken on the acetabular rim of 143 cadaveric skeleton specimens (286 acetabula) using a coordinate-measuring device: circumferential (excluding acetabular notch), anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS)-anterior, AIIS-posterior, 12–3 o’clock, 12–9 o’clock and 11–5 o’clock. Museum specimen height data and leg length data from a previous study were recorded for 109 of 143 specimens. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated. Student t-tests compared mean values. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between acetabular rim length and gender, age, ethnicity, height and leg length. The average acetabular rim length in males for circumferential, AIIS-anterior, AIIS-posterior, 12–3, 12–9 and 11–5 o’clock were 15.8, 4.2, 11.7, 4.9, 4.7 and 9.5 cm, respectively; and for females: 13.7, 3.7, 10.0, 4.3, 4.1 and 8.3 cm, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.953, 0.930, 0.958, 0.857, 0.913 and 0.951, respectively, for each measurement. All six measurements were significantly larger for males (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between gender and rim length for all six measurements (P < 0.001) and between height and leg length and acetabular rim length for five of the six measurements exclusive of AIIS-anterior (P < 0.001). No significant trends between age or ethnicity and rim length were found. Average acetabular rim lengths were established. The acetabular rim is significantly longer in males and correlates with height and leg length. Age and ethnicity do not appear to be significant predictors of acetabular rim length. Normative values for acetabular rim lengths may assist in hip preservation surgery.