Measuring anatomical acetabular cup orientation with a new X-ray technique

Proper alignment of the acetabular cup component is one of the most important requisites for a successful long-term outcome in total hip replacement. However, measurement and indication of cup orientation in an anatomical pelvic reference system is very difficult. We propose a new C-arm-based X-ray technique for determining the values for inclination and anteversion of the acetabular cup component. The proposed method is validated by computer simulation and sources of error are evaluated. The method predicts an accuracy of better then 5 degrees for determination of anteversion of the cup.