Spinopelvic challenges in primary total hip arthroplasty.

There is no universal safe zone for cup orientation. Patients with spinal arthrodesis or a degenerative lumbar spine are at increased risk of dislocation. The relative contributions of the hip (femur and acetabulum) and of the spine (lumbar spine) in body motion must be considered together. The pelvis links the two and influences both acetabular orientation (i.e. hip flexion/extension) and sagittal balance/lumbar lordosis (i.e. spine flexion/extension). Examination of the spino-pelvic motion can be done through clinical examination and standard radiographs or stereographic imaging. A single, lateral, standing spinopelvic radiograph would be able to providemost relevant information required for screening and pre-operative planning. A significant variability in static and dynamic spinopelvic characteristics exists amongst healthy volunteers without known spinal or hip pathology. The stiff, arthritic, hip leads to greater changes in pelvic tilt (changes are almost doubled), with associated obligatory change in lumbar lordosis to maintain upright posture (lumbar lordosis is reduced to counterbalance for the reduction in sacral slope). Following total hip arthroplasty and restoration of hip flexion, spinopelvic characteristics tend to change/normalize (to age-matched healthy volunteers). The static spinopelvic parameters that are directly associated with increased risk of dislocation are lumbo-pelvic mismatch (pelvic incidence - lumbar lordosis angle >10°), high pelvic tilt (>19°), and low sacral slope when standing. A high combined sagittal index (CSI) when standing (>245°) is associated with increased risk of anterior instability, whilst low CSI when standing (<205°) is associated with increased risk of posterior instability. Aiming to achieve an optimum CSI when standing within 205-245° (with narrower target for those with spinal disease) whilst ensuring the coronal targets of cup orientation targets are achieved (inclination/version of 40/20 ±10°) is our preferred method.

The Functional Mechanics of the Acetabular Component in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty functional safe zones match postural hip changes to dynamic positioning of the acetabular component. We studied integrating the Anteinclination (AI) cup angle into the spinopelvic environment, defining normative values for all parameters and calculating adjustments to AI for each degree of altered standing pelvic position and postural mobility from these values. A sagittal geometric model was employed to determine these values using established spinopelvic parameter angles. METHODS: Theoretical normative Pelvic Incidence (PI) specific values were calculated using a triangular construct employing a linear equation describing the functional relationship between the pelvic parameters at a mobility producing an isosceles solution for normative acetabular angles. Individual optimal AI cup values for altered Sacral Slope (SS)/pelvic tilt (sPT) and mobility (dSS) were calculated using specific ratios of angular change between parameters correcting from these normative values. RESULTS: A PI:SS:sPT ratio of angular change of 3:2:1 at dSS = 25° mobility creates an isosceles condition solving for PI specific theoretical normative values for all construct parameters. Individualized tilt correction applies to each posture a +0.25° AI alteration for each +1° sPT increase from this architectural value. Mobility correction applies a +0.5° standing AI and -0.5° sitting AI alteration for each -1° dSS < 25°, the opposite for each +1° dSS > 25°. The Sacroacetabular angle/Pelvic acetabular angle (SAA/PAA) index describes the underlying spinopelvic environment the cup functions within. CONCLUSION: This model quantitatively integrates an implanted acetabular component into the host spinopelvic environment. Theoretical normative and individual optimal cup orientations are passively determined by these conditions of standing pelvic position and mobility.

Functional Anatomy of the Hip Joint.

BACKGROUND: The functional anatomy of the osteoarthritic hip joint in the sagittal plane has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to define the functional anatomy of the hip using clinical and radiographic analyses. METHODS: 320 hips had preoperative standing and sitting lateral spine-pelvis-hip X-rays. Radiographic pelvic measurements were pelvic incidence (PI) and sacral slope (SS), and hip measurements were anteinclination (AI) and pelvic femoral angle (PFA). Pelvic tilt (PT) was calculated as PI-SS. A triangle model was created from the clinical data that illustrates the functional motion of the hip during postural changes from standing to sitting. RESULTS: Pelvic motion was coordinated with hip motion, even with spinopelvic imbalance and stiffness. Pelvic motion (ΔSS) varied for all 5 types of imbalance, but pelvic motion (ΔSS) and acetabular motion (ΔAI) changed with a 1:1 ratio and inversely with femoral motion (ΔPFA) with a 1:1 ratio. The triangle model showed similar results with ΔSS, ΔPT, and ΔAI changing in a 1:1:1 ratio, and femur motion inversely changing with a 1:1 ratio. CONCLUSION: The functional anatomy of the hip joint can be visually illustrated using a triangle model. Pelvic angles SS, PT, and AI change in unison, whereas femoral motion (ΔPFA) changes inversely with pelvic motion (ΔSS) in a 1:1 ratio. This coordinated mobility explains the limitations of the Lewinnek safe zone, which include only the acetabulum.

The Effects of Pelvic Incidence in the Functional Anatomy of the Hip Joint.

BACKGROUND: The spine-pelvis-hip interaction during postural change should be considered in the functional anatomy of the hip. The component parts of this anatomy and how they influence hip function are important to know. Pelvic incidence (PI) is one of these components. We studied if PI was preoperatively predictive of impingement risk and if it postoperatively influences hip position, which could cause outliers from the functional safe zone of hip replacement. METHODS: This was a prospective radiographic study of 187 consecutive patients (200 hips) who had lateral spinopelvis-hip radiographs before and after primary total hip arthroplasty with measurements of the component factors that influence mobility and position of the functional anatomy. The predictive value of PI for risk of impingement of the hip and its postoperative relationship to functional safe-zone outliers were assessed. Forty-one dislocations from our clinical practice were also reviewed. RESULTS: Of 200 hips, the PI was normal in 145 hips (73%), low in 18 hips (9%), and high in 37 hips (19%). Eighty-two hips had spinopelvic imbalance: 12 (67%) of the 18 hips with low PI, 56 (39%) of the 145 hips with normal PI, and 14 (38%) of the 37 hips with high PI. Low-PI hips was the most predictive of the risk of impingement and postoperatively these hips had the most outliers from the functional safe zone. CONCLUSIONS: PI is an anatomical component that is predictive of both impingement risk and functional safe-zone outliers. Preoperative risk, based on factors such as the Lewinnek zones and combined anteversion, is an established guide in determining cup position in hip replacement. Low-PI hips that have the "terrible triad" of a posteriorly tilted pelvis, stiff pelvic mobility, and increased femoral flexion therefore have no functional safe zone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Functional Safe Zone Is Superior to the Lewinnek Safe Zone for Total Hip Arthroplasty: Why the Lewinnek Safe Zone Is Not Always Predictive of Stability.

BACKGROUND: The Lewinnek "safe zone" is not always predictive of stability after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Recent studies have focused on functional hip motion as observed on lateral spine-pelvis-hip x-rays. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the Lewinnek safe zone and the functional safe zone based on hip and pelvic motion in the sagittal plane. METHODS: Three hundred twenty hips (291 patients) underwent primary THA using computer navigation. Two hundred ninety-six of these hips (92.5%) were within the Lewinnek safe zone as determined by inclination of 40° ± 10° and anteversion of 15° ± 10°. All patients had preoperative and postoperative standing and sitting lateral spinopelvic x-rays. The combined sagittal index (CSI), a combination of sagittal acetabular and femoral position, was measured for each patient and used to assess the functional safe zone. Data analysis was performed to identify hips in the Lewinnek safe zone inside and outside the sagittal functional safe zone. Predictive factors for hips outside the functional safe zone were identified. RESULTS: Of the 296 hips within the Lewinnek safe zone, 254 (85.8%) were also in the functional safe zone. Forty-two patients were outside the functional safe zone based on CSI; 19 had an increased standing CSI and 23 had a decreased sitting CSI, all were considered at risk for dislocation. Predictive factors for falling outside the functional safe zone were increased femoral mobility (P < .001, r = 0.632), decreased spinopelvic mobility (P < .001, r = 0.455), and pelvic incidence (P < .001, r = 0.400). CONCLUSION: In this study, 14.2% of hips within the Lewinnek safe zone were outside the functional safe zone, identifying a potential reason hips dislocate despite having "normal" cup angles. The best predictor for falling outside the functional safe zone, both preoperatively and postoperatively, was femoral mobility, not the sagittal cup position (ie, cup anteinclination). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective review.