Aims. The aim of this study was to determine the association between knee alignment and the vertical orientation of the femoral neck in relation to the floor. This could be clinically important because changes of femoral neck orientation might alter chondral joint contact zones and joint reaction forces, potentially inducing problems like pain in pre-existing chondral degeneration. Further, the femoral neck orientation influences the ischiofemoral space and a small ischiofemoral distance can lead to impingement. We hypothesized that a valgus knee alignment is associated with a more vertical orientation of the femoral neck in
Introduction. Most of studies on Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) are focused on acetabular cup orientation. Even though the literature suggests that femoral anteversion and combined anteversion have a clinical impact on THA stability, there are not many reports on these parameters. Combined anteversion can be considered morphologically as the addition of anatomical acetabular and femoral anteversions (Anatomical Combined Anatomical Anteversion ACA). It is also possible to evaluate the Combined Functional Anteversion (CFA) generated by the relative functional position of femoral and acetabular implants while standing. This preliminary study is focused on the comparison of the anatomical and functional data in asymptomatic THA patients. Material and methods. 50 asymptomatic unilateral THA patients (21 short stems and 29 standard stems) have been enrolled. All patients underwent an EOS low dose evaluation in
The sagittal orientation of the pelvis commonly called pelvic tilt has an effect on the orientation of the cup in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Pelvic tilt is different between individuals and changes during activities of daily living. In particular the pelvic tilt in
Background. Cup anteversion and inclination are important to avoid implant impingement and dislocation in total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, it is well known that functional cup anteversion and cup inclination also change as the pelvic sagittal inclination (PSI) changes, and many reports have been made to investigate the PSI in supine and
Introduction. Optimal implant position is critical to hip stability after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Recent literature points out the importance of the evaluation of pelvic position to optimize cup implantation. The concept of Functional Combined Anteversion (FCA), the sum of acetabular/cup anteversion and femoral/stem neck anteversion in the horizontal plane, can be used to plan and control the setting of a THA in
Aims: For planning of Total Hip Arthroplasties (THA) plain X-rays of the pelvis in anterior posterior orientation are used. New methods such as CT scans and intraoperative digitization with navigation devices introduce the third dimension into orthopaedic planning. In order to compare measurements derived from three-dimensional data-acquisition with standard pelvic measurements it is important to estimate the underlying variances of those standards. Methods: 120 patients were investigated and subdivided in 4 groups depending of their age or the condition of their hip joints. The patients were positioned in a supine position on a table and in a
Introduction. Optimal implant position is the important factor in the hip stability after THA. Both the acetabular and femoral implants are placed in anteversion. While most hip dislocations occur either in
Introduction. The assessment of leg length is essential for planning the correction of deformities and for the compensation of length discrepancy, especially after hip or knee arthroplasty. CT scan measures the “anatomical” lengths but does not evaluate the “functional” length experienced by the patients in
Introduction. The position and orientation of the lower extremities are fundamental for planning and follow-up imaging after arthroplasty and lower extremity osteotomy. But no studies have reported the reproducibility of measurements over time in the same patient, and experience shows variability of the results depending on the protocols for patient positioning. This study explores the reproducibility of measurements in the lower extremity with the patients in “comfortable standing position” by the EOS® imaging system. Materials and Methods. Two whole-body acquisitions were performed in each of 40 patients who were evaluated for a spine pathology. The average interval between acquisitions was 15 months (4–35 months). Patients did not have severe spine pathology and did not undergo any surgery between acquisitions. The “comfortable standing position” is achieved without imposing on the patient any specific position of the lower limbs and pelvis. All the measurements were performed and compared in both 2- and 3-dimensional images. Distances between the centers of the femoral heads and between the centers of the knees and ankles were measured from the front. The profile is shown by the flexion angle between the axis of the femur (center of the femoral head and the top of the line Blumensaat) and the axis of the tibia. Results. The average radiation dose was 0.80 mGy (0.5–1.11). For the first acquisition, the mean distance between the femoral heads was 17.9 cm (15.8–20.2), the mean distance between the middle of the knee joints was 16.7 cm (11.2–23.1) and the mean distance between the medial malleoli was 13.1 cm (0 to 18). For the second acquisition, the mean distance between the femoral heads was 17.9 cm (14.9–21.5), the mean distance between the middle of the knee joints was 16.9 cm (11.4–23.1) and the mean distance between the medial malleoli was 13.6 cm (0–19.4). For all comparisons no significant difference was demonstrated in related samples by Wilcoxon rank test and paired Student t test. Discussion. Two- and 3-dimensional data are not affected by repeated acquisitions several to many months apart in “comfortable
Acetabular component positioning is commonly referenced with the pelvis in the supine position in direct anterior approach THA. Changes in pelvic tilt (PT) from the pre-operative supine to the post-operative
Purpose and Background. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) can affect 56–80% of physiotherapists. Patient handling is reported as a significant risk factor for developing WRMSD with the back most frequently injured. Physiotherapists perform therapeutic handling to manually assist and facilitate patients’ movement to aid rehabilitation, which can increase physiotherapists risk of experiencing high forces during patient handling. Methods and Results. A descriptive cross-sectional study was completed to explore and quantitatively measure the movement of ten physiotherapists during patient handling, over one working day, in a neurological setting. A wearable 3-dimensional motion analysis system, Xsens (Movella, Henderson, NV), was used to measure physiotherapist movement and postures in the ward setting during patient treatment sessions. The resulting joint angles were reported descriptively and compared against a frequently used ergonomic assessment tool, the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Physiotherapists adopted four main positions during patient handling tasks: 1) kneeling; 2) half-kneeling; 3) standing; and 4) sitting. Eight patient handling tasks were identified and described: 1) Lie-to-sit; 2) sit-to-lie; 3) sit-to-stand; facilitation of 4) upper limb; 5) lower limb; 6) trunk; and 7) standing treatments; and 8) walking facilitation. Kneeling and sitting positions demonstrated greater neck extension and greater lumbosacral flexion during treatments which scores highly with the RULA. Conclusion. This research identified that patient treatment tasks were more often performed in kneeling or sitting
Introduction. Assessment of the humeral head translation with respect to the glenoid joint, termed humeral head migration (HHM), is crucial in total shoulder arthroplasty pre-operative planning. Its assessment informs current classification systems for shoulder osteoarthritis as well as the evaluation of surgical correction. In current clinical practice, HHM assessment relies on computed-tomography (CT) imaging. However, the associated supine position might undermine its functional relevance as it does not reflect the weight-bearing condition with active muscle engagement associated with the upright
Introduction. The posterior condylar axis of the distal femur is the common reference used to describe femoral anteversion. In the context of Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), this reference can be used to define the native femoral anteversion, as well as the anteversion of the stem. However, these measurements are fixed to a femoral reference. The authors propose that the functional position of the proximal femur must be considered, as well as the functional relationship between stem and cup (combined anteversion) when considering the clinical implications of stem anteversion. This study investigates the post-operative differences between anatomically-referenced and functionally-referenced stem and combined anteversion in the supine and
Biomedical imaging is essential in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal pathologies and postoperative evaluations. In this context, Cone-Beam technology-based Computed Tomography (CBCT) can make important contributions in orthopaedics. CBCT relies on divergent cone X-rays on the whole field of view and a rotating source-detector element to generate three-dimensional (3D) volumes. For the lower limb, they can allow acquisitions under real loading conditions, taking the name Weight-Bearing CBCT (WB-CBCT). Assessments at the foot, ankle, knee, and at the upper limb, can benefit from it in situations where loading is critical to understanding the interactions between anatomical structures. The present study reports 4 recent applications using WB-CBCT in an orthopaedic centre. Patient scans by WB-CBCT were collected for examinations of the lower limb in monopodal
The anterior pelvic plane (APP) angle is often used as a reference to decide pelvic alignment for hip surgeons. However, Rousseau criticised the validness of the APP angles because the APP angles in
In total hip arthroplasty (THA), inappropriate cup alignment cause edge loading and prosthetic impingement, which lead to various mechanical problems including dislocation, excessive wear and breakage of bearing materials, and stem neck fracture. To find the optimal cup alignment, various computer simulation studies have been conducted. However there have been few studies focusing on pelvic coordinate system as a reference of cup positioning. Our hypothesis is that the functional pelvic coordinate system with pelvic sagittal inclination in the supine position is appropriate for a reference frame of cup alignment. To test the hypothesis, we have been investigating preoperative and postoperative kinematics of pelvis and hip of THA patients. In 25 % of the consecutive 163 patients, the difference in preoperative pelvic inclination angle between the supine and
Aims. Iliopsoas impingement occurs in 4% to 30% of patients after undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Despite a relatively high incidence, there are few attempts at modelling impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular component, and no attempts at modelling this in a representative cohort of subjects. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel computational model for quantifying the impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular component and validate its utility in a case-controlled investigation. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent THA surgery that included 23 symptomatic patients diagnosed with iliopsoas tendonitis, and 23 patients not diagnosed with iliopsoas tendonitis. All patients received postoperative CT imaging, postoperative standing radiography, and had minimum six months’ follow-up. 3D models of each patient’s prosthetic and bony anatomy were generated, landmarked, and simulated in a novel iliopsoas impingement detection model in supine and
The reduction for unstable femoral intertrochanteric fracture should be extramedullary, which means that the proximal fragment protrudes for the distal fragment. However, only few articles have compared extramedullary and intramedullary reductions in a biomechanical study. Thus, we created unstable femoral intertrochanteric fracture models using imitational bone (extramedullary and intramedullary groups, each with 12 cases) and evaluated their biomechanical stabilities. The fracture type was 31-A2 according to the AO-OTA Classification of Fractures and Dislocations and greatly lacked bone on the posterior side. We performed compression examination and evaluated stiffness. The implant used for fixation was TFNA (DePuy Synthes). We applied axial compression with 20 adduction in the
Rehabilitation systems based on inertial measurement units (IMU) and bio-feedbacks are increasingly used in many different settings for patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson disease or balance impairment, and more recently for functional recover after orthopedic surgical interventions or injuries especially concerning the lower limb. These systems claim to provide a more controlled and correct execution of the motion exercises to be performed within the rehabilitation programs, hopefully resulting in a better outcomes with respect to the traditional direct support of a physical therapists. In particular recruitment of specific muscles during the exercise is expression of its correct and finalized execution. The objective of this study was to compare muscular activation patterns of relevant lower limb muscles during different exercises performed with traditional rehabilitation and with a new validated system based on IMU and biofeedback (Riablo, Corehab, Trento, Italy). Twelve healthy subjects (mean age 28.1 ± 3.9, BMI 21.8± 2.1) were evaluated in a rehabilitation center. Muscular activation pattern of gluteus maximum, gluteus medium, rectus femoris and biceps femoris was recorded through surface EMG (Cometa; Milan) during six different motion tasks: hip abduction in
Materials and Methods. We treated 60 hips in 60 patients (8 males and 52 females) with cementless THA that were performed from January 2007 to December 2009 in our hospital. 48 osteoarthritis hips, 5 rheumatoid arthritis hips and 7 idiopathic osteonecrosis hips were included. All patients were performed THA with VectorVision Hip navigation system (BrainLAB, Feldkirchen, Germany). We used AMS HA cups and PerFix stems (KYOCERA Medical co., Osaka, Japan). The mean age of surgery was 61 years old (35–79 years old). The pelvic inclination angles (PIA) were measured with anteroposterior radiographic image in accordance with the Doiguchi's method. Results. The amount of change of the pelvic inclination angle between supine and