Abstract
Tracking of the anterior pelvic plane is of interest for medical interventions such as total hip arthroplasty, for which it is used as a reference for the positioning of the acetabular cup.
We introduce and evaluate a new portable ultrasound device for the measure of the pelvic tilt in different positions of daily living. This device consists of two ultrasound probes articulated with respect to each other in order to visualise simultaneously the bony landmarks of interest that are one of the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic symphysis. A series of sensors and the calibration of the ultrasound probes allow the measurement of the relative position of the landmarks with respect to a vertical line.
The accuracy of the device has been investigated through a simulation study and showed errors (mean ± standard deviation [minimum; maximum]) as 0.18° ± 0.96° [−3.85°; 4.33°], with 99% of measurements within a ± 2.5° with respect to the actual pelvic tilt.
This level of accuracy is similar to what can be found in the literature for the same purposes. Our device gathers advantages such as being portable and user friendly in order to be used during the pre-operative consultation. It is also non invasive and non irradiant. Further investigations will be run to assess this accuracy in vitro and in vivo.
