Comparative anthropometry analysis of the digital X-rays of the right and left hip joints in an Indian population

Abstract

Background: Population-specific anthropometric analysis of hip joints has vital clinical and surgical implications including adoption of optimal preventive measures and selection of effective prosthesis. Hence, in this study, we determined the anatomical variance between the right and left hip of the patients referred to our orthopedic unit. Materials and Methods: Five hundred patients with a normal hip joint attending the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, Coimbatore, India, were included in this study. Plain radiographs were taken to measure the neck-shaft angle (NSA), head diameter (HD), neck width (NW) of the right and left femur, and the values were compared with data reported in the literature for various other population. Results: The mean value of NSA (134.2°), HD (42.9 mm), and NW (28.2 mm) in the study population differed when compared with data reported in the literature for the Western and other Indian population. Significant changes were also observed between the right and left sides of the hip joint in the study population. Conclusion: This study concludes that significant differences exist between the right and left side of hip joint in the study population. Further the values observed in our study population were considerably different from the values reported in the literature for the Western population.