Fluoroscopy-Assisted Computer Navigation Accurately Determines Cup Position and Leg Length for Anterior Hip Arthroplasty

Background:

Recently, fluoroscopy-assisted computer navigation has been developed to assess intraoperative cup inclination/anteversion and leg-length discrepancy (LLD) in the operating room. However, there is a relative dearth of studies investigating the accuracy of this software compared with postoperative radiographs.

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively enrolled 211 navigated anterior total hip arthroplasties using fluoroscopy-assisted computer navigation software. Intraoperative navigated measurements were compared with postoperative anteroposterior radiographs to assess accuracy of cup inclination/anteversion and LLD. Continuous variables were analyzed using the Student's t test, and categorical variables were analyzed using Fisher's exact test.

Results:

On postoperative radiographs, 94.3% of cups (199 of 211) were positioned within the Lewinnek “safe zone,” compared with 99.1% navigated intraoperatively (P=.01). Eighty-two percent of hips (174 of 211) were navigated intraoperatively to LLDs within ±2 mm; on postoperative radiographs, 65% of hips (138 of 211) had LLDs within ±2 mm (P=.0001). Intraoperatively, 100% of hips (211 of 211) were navigated to LLDs within ±5 mm; similarly, on postoperative radiographs, 98% of hips (207 of 211) had LLDs within ±5 mm (P=.12).

Conclusion:

A novel fluoroscopy-assisted computer navigation platform accurately assessed intraoperative cup position and LLD during anterior total hip arthroplasty. Careful attention to fluoroscopic technique, positioning of radiographic landmarks, and knowledge of the limitations of fluoroscopy, including parallax effect, are important concepts that surgeons should incorporate into their decision algorithm. [Orthopedics. 202x;4x(x):xx–xx.]