Outcome of periacetabular osteotomy: Joint contact pressure calculation using standing AP radiographs, 12 patients followed for average 2 years

Background Due to wide variations in acetabular structure of individuals with hip dysplasia, the measurement of the acetabular orientation may not be sufficient to predict the joint loading and pressure distribution across the joint. Addition of mechanical analysis to preoperative planning, therefore, has the potential to improve the clinical outcome. We analyzed the effect of periacetabular osteotomy on hip dysplasia using computeraided simulation of joint contact pressure on regular AP radiographs. The results were compared with the results of surgery based on realignment of acetabular angles to the normal hip. Patients and methods We studied 12 consecutive periacetabular osteotomies with no femoral head deformity. The median age of patients, all females, was 35 (20-50) years. The median follow-up was 2 years (1.3-2.2). Patient outcome was measured with the total score of a self-administered questionnaire (q-score) and with the Harris hip score. The pre- and postoperative orientation of the acetabulum was defined using reconstructed 3D CT-slices to measure angles in the three anatomical planes. Peak contact pressure, weight-bearing area, and the centroid of the contact pressure distribution (CP-ratio) were calculated. Results While 9 of 12 cases showed decreased peak pressure after surgery, the mean changes in weight-bearing area and peak contact pressure were not statistically significant. However, CP-ratio changed (p < 0.001, paired t-test) with surgery. For the optimal range of CP-ratio (within its mid-range 40-60%), the mechanical outcome improved significantly. Interpretation Verifying the correlation between the optimal CP-ratio and the outcome of the surgery requires additional studies on more patients. Moreover, the anatomically measured angles were not correlated with the ranges of CP-ratio, suggesting that they do not always associate with objective mechanical goals of realignment osteotomy. Mechanical analysis, therefore, can be a valuable tool in assessing two-dimensional radiographs in hip dysplasia.