Femoral Anatomy Described in Cylindrical Coordinates Using Computed Tomography

A new method, which describes the femoral anatomy in terms of angles and distances is presented. Primary data are obtained from CT and reduced to cylindrical coordinates by a computer program. The approach yields rotational angles for the entire shaft and demonstrates the limitation of conventional measurements of the anteversion angle. The method is proposed as a generalized technique for measurement of rotation in orthopedic radiology.