Pre- and postoperative offset and femoral neck version measurements and validation using 3D computed tomography in total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: Restoration of a correct biomechanical situation after total hip arthroplasty is important. PURPOSE: To evaluate proximal femoral symmetry of acetabular and femoral offset and femoral neck anteversion pre- and postoperatively in hip arthroplasty by semi-automated 3D-CT and to validate the software measurements by inter- and intraobserver agreement calculations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In low-dose CT on 71 patients before and after unilateral total hip arthroplasty, two observers used a digital 3D templating software to measure acetabular offset, true and functional femoral offset, and femoral neck anteversion. Observer agreements were calculated using intraclass correlation. Hip measurements were compared in each patient and between pre- and postoperative measurements. RESULTS: Preoperatively, acetabular offset (2.4 mm), true (2.2 mm), and functional global offset (2.7 mm) were significantly larger on the osteoarthritic side without side-to-side differences for true and functional femoral offset or femoral neck anteversion. Postoperatively, acetabular offset was significantly smaller on the operated side (2.1 mm) with a concomitantly increased true (2.5 mm) and functional femoral offset (1.5 mm), resulting in symmetric true and functional global offsets. There were no differences in postoperative femoral neck anteversion. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were near-perfect, ranging between 0.92 and 0.98 with narrow confidence intervals (0.77–0.98 to 0.94–0.99). CONCLUSION: Acetabular and concomitantly global offset are generally increased in hip osteoarthritis. Postoperative acetabular offset was reduced, and femoral offset increased to maintain global offset. 3D measurements were reproducible with near-perfect observer agreements. 3D data sets should be used for pre- and postoperative measurements in hip arthroplasty.