Defining the Borderline Hip: High Variability in Acetabular Coverage and Femoral Deformity

OBJECTIVES: Borderline acetabular dysplasia is radiographically defined as a lateral center edge angle (LCEA) of 20-25 degrees. It is well accepted that some borderline hips have instability while others have primarily impingement. The optimal management of borderline dysplasia is challenging and particularly complex due to the anatomic variability that exists among patients but has not been well characterized. The purpose of this current study was to investigate the variability in hip deformity present on low-dose CT in a cohort of patients with symptomatic borderline acetabular dysplasia. METHODS: Seventy consecutive hips with borderline acetabular dysplasia undergoing surgical treatment were included in the current study. Radiographic evaluation included LCEA, acetabular inclination, anterior center edge angle (ACEA), and alpha angles on AP, Dunn, and frog views. All patients underwent low-dose pelvic CT for preoperative planning. Femoral deformity was assessed with femoral version, alpha angle (measured at 1:00 increments), and maximum alpha angle. Radial acetabular coverage was calculated according to standardized clockface positions [measured from 8:00 (posterior) to 4:00 (anterior)] and defined as normal, undercoverage, or overcoverage relative to 1 SD from the mean of normative values. RESULTS: The mean LCEA was 22.1+1.4, while the mean acetabular inclination was 10.3+3.3. The mean ACEA in the group was 25.3+5.8 (range 10.1-43.9), with 16% having an ACEA < 20 and 50% having an ACEA < 25. The mean femoral version was 17.9° (range -4° to 59°). The mean maximal alpha angle was 57.2° (range 43° to 81°) with 61.4% greater than 55°. Lateral coverage (RAC at 12:00) was deficient in 74.1% of cases. Anterior coverage (RAC at 2:00) was highly variable with 17.1% undercoverage, 72.9% normal, and 10.0% overcoverage. Posterior coverage (RAC at 10:00) was also highly variable with 30.0% undercoverage, 62.9% normal, and 7.1% overcoverage. The three most common patterns of coverage were: isolated lateral undercoverage (31.4%), normal coverage (18.6%), and lateral and posterior undercoverage (17.1%). CONCLUSION: Patients with borderline acetabular dysplasia demonstrate highly variable three-dimensional deformities including anterior, lateral, and posterior acetabular coverage, femoral version, and alpha angle. Comprehensive deformity characterization in the population is important to guide diagnosis and treatment decisions.