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Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 95-B, Issue SUPP_1 | Pages 19 - 19
1 Jan 2013
Thomas G Batra R Kiran A Palmer A Gibbons C Gundle R Hart D Spector T Gill H Javaid M Carr A Arden N Glyn-Jones S
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Introduction. Subtle deformities of the acetabulum and proximal femur are recognised as biomechanical risk factors for the development of hip osteoarthritis (OA) as well as a cause of hip and groin pain. We undertook this study to examine relationships between a number of morphological measurements of the acetabulum and proximal femur and the hip pain in a 20-year longitudinal study. Methods. In 1989 women of 45–64 years of age were recruited. Each had an AP-Pelvis radiograph at Year-2. These radiographs were analysed using a validated programme for measuring morphology. All morphological measurements were read blinded to outcome. At year 3 all participants were asked whether they experienced hip pain (side specific). This was repeated at visits up to and including 20-years. Logistic regression analysis (with robust standard errors and clustering by subject identifier) was performed using hip pain as a binary outcome. The model adjusted for baseline age, BMI and joint space and included only participants who were pain free on initial questioning. Results. 743 participants were included in the analysis. Median age 74.0. Pain was reported in 14.2% of hips. Logistic regression analyses revealed that extrusion index and LCE were significantly associated with hip pain before and after adjusting for covariates (OR 4.88[95%CI 1.32–17.97, p=0.017] and 0.84[95%CI 0.74–0.96, p=0.012] respectively). Modified triangular index height (MTIH) was also significantly associated after adjusting for covariates (OR 1.10[95%CI 1.01–1.20, p=0.022]). Extrusion index and MTIH were independently associated with hip pain at 20-years when used in the same model. No significant interaction was identified. Conclusions. This study provides evidence that measurements of hip morphology characteristic of previously undiagnosed dysplasia and FAI are predictive of hip pain in a 20-year longitudinal study. MTIH, LCE and Extrusion index were significant predictors of pain. This is the first study to describe these associations between hip morphology and pain in a longitudinal cohort


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 99-B, Issue SUPP_7 | Pages 29 - 29
1 Apr 2017
Clohisy J
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Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) represents a heterogeneous group of deformities that are commonly associated with secondary osteoarthritis. Affected hips may require total hip arthroplasty (THA) for endstage disease and these cases can present unique challenges for the reconstructive surgeon. While the severity of deformity varies greatly, optimizing THA can be challenging even in the “mildly” dysplastic hip. These disorders are commonly characterised by acetabular deficiency with inadequate coverage of the anterolateral femoral head and proximal femoral abnormalities including excessive femoral antetorsion, coxa valga and femoral stenosis. In more severe cases, major femoral head subluxation or dislocation can add additional complexity to the procedure. In addition to the primary deformities of DDH, secondary deformities from previous acetabular or proximal femoral osteotomies may also impact the primary THA. Primary THA in the DDH hip can be optimised by detailed understanding of the bony anatomy, careful pre-operative planning, and an appropriate spectrum of techniques and implants for the given case. This presentation will review the abnormal hip morphologies encountered in the dysplastic hip and will focus on the more challenging aspects of THA. These include acetabular reconstruction of the severely deficient socket and in the setting of total dislocation, femoral implant procedures combined with corrective osteotomy or shortening, and issues related to arthroplasty in the setting of previous pelvic osteotomy. Despite the complexity of reconstruction for various dysplastic variants the clinical outcomes and survivorship of these procedures are good to excellent for most patients. Nevertheless, more complex procedures are associated with an increased complication rate and this should be considered in the surgical decision-making process


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 99-B, Issue SUPP_6 | Pages 17 - 17
1 Mar 2017
Steppacher S Milosevic M Lerch T Tannast M Ziebarth K Siebenrock K
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Introduction. Hips following in-situ pinning for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) have an altered morphology of the proximal femur with cam type deformity. This deformity can result in femoroacetabular impingement and early joint degeneration. The modified Dunn procedure allows to reorientate the slipped epiphysis to restore hip morphology and function. Objectives. To evaluate (1) hip pain and function, (2) 10-year survival rate and (3) subsequent surgeries and complications in hips undergoing modified Dunn procedure for SCFE. Methods. Between April 1998 and December 2005 we performed the modified Dunn procedure for 43 patients (43 hips) with SCFE. Twenty-five hips (58) presented with an acute or acute on chronic slip. The mean slip angle was 43° (range, 15° – 80°). A majority of 53% of procedures were performed in male patients and the mean age at operation was 13 years (10 – 19 years). We could followup all except one hip (followup of 5.5 year) for a minimum of 10 years (mean followup 13 [10 – 18 years]). We used the anterior impingement test to assess pain and the Merle d'Aubigné- ostel score to assess function. Survivorship calculation was performed using the method of Kaplan and Meier and any of the following factors as a definition of failure: radiographic evidence of worsening osteoarthritis (OA), or a Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score less than 15. Results. (1) The prevalence of a positive anterior impingement test decreased from 100% to 16% (p<0.001). The mean Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score improved from 13 (7 – 14) to 17 (14 – 18) at most recent followup (p<0.001). (2) Four hips (9%) showed progression of OA and three hips (7%) had a Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score of less than 15 at most recent followup. This resulted in a 93% survival rate at 10-year followup. (3) No hip developed avascular necrosis. Five hips (12%) had complications with reosteosynthesis due to screw breakage or nonunion. Another nine hips (21%) had subsequent surgeries including acetabular rim trimming / offset creation in 5 hips and screw removal in 4 hips. Conclusion. The modified Dunn procedure is a safe method to correct the morphology of the proximal femur in hips with SCFE. Ninety-free percent of the hips showed no progression of OA and a good clinical result at the 10-year followup. Twelve percent required revision surgery for complications all including screw breakage with nonunion of the greater trochanter


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 98-B, Issue SUPP_17 | Pages 71 - 71
1 Nov 2016
Trousdale R
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Background: Structural hip deformities including developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) are thought to predispose patients to degenerative joint changes. However, the natural history of these malformations is not clearly delineated. Methods: Seven-hundred twenty-two patients ≤55 years that received unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) from 1980–1989 were identified. Pre-operative radiographs were reviewed on the contralateral hip and only hips with Tönnis Grade 0 degenerative change that had minimum 10-year radiographic follow-up were included. Radiographic metrics in conjunction with the review of two experienced arthroplasty surgeons determined structural hip diagnosis as DDH, FAI, or normal morphology. Every available follow-up AP radiograph was reviewed to determine progression from Tönnis Grade 0–3 until the time of last follow-up or operative intervention with THA. Survivorship was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier methodology, hazard ratios, and multi-state modeling. Results: One-hundred sixty-two patients met all eligibility criteria with the following structural diagnoses: 48 DDH, 74 FAI, and 40 normal. Mean age at the time of study inclusion was 47 years (range 18–55), with 56% females. Mean follow-up was 20 years (range 10 – 35 years). Thirty-five patients eventually required THA: 16 (33.3%) DDH, 13 (17.6%) FAI, 6 (15.0%) normal. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with DDH progressed most rapidly, followed by FAI, with normal hips progressing the slowest. The mean number of years spent in each Tönnis stage by structural morphology was as follows: Tönnis 0: DDH = 17.0 years, FAI = 14.8 years, normal = 22.9 years; Tönnis 1: DDH = 12.2 years, FAI = 13.3 years, normal = 17.5 years; Tönnis 2: DDH = 6.0 years, FAI = 9.7 years, normal = 8.6 years; Tönnis 3: DDH = 1.6 years, FAI = 2.6 years, normal = 0.2 years. Analysis of degenerative risk for categorical variables showed that patients with femoral head lateralization >10 mm, femoral head extrusion indices >0.25, acetabular depth-to-width index <0.38, lateral center-edge angle <25 degrees, and Tönnis angle >10 degrees all had a greater risk of progression from Tönnis 0 to Tönnis 3 or THA. Among patients with FAI morphology, femoral head extrusion indices >0.25, lateral center-edge angle <25 degrees, and Tönnis angle >10 degrees all increased the risk of early radiographic progression. Analysis of degenerative risk for continuous variables using smoothing splines showed that risk was increased for the following: femoral head lateralization >8 mm, femoral head extrusion index >0.20, acetabular depth-to-width index <0.30, lateral center-edge angle <25 degrees, and Tönnis angle >8 degrees. Conclusions: This study defines the long-term natural history of DDH and FAI in comparison to structurally normal young hips with a presumably similar initial prognostic risk (Tönnis Grade 0 degenerative change and contralateral primary THA). In general, the fastest rates of degenerative change were observed in patients with DDH. Furthermore, risk of progression based on morphology and current Tönnis stage were defined, creating a new prognostic guide for surgeons. Lastly, radiographic parameters were identified that predicted more rapid degenerative change, both in continuous and categorical fashions, subclassified by hip morphology


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 98-B, Issue SUPP_9 | Pages 59 - 59
1 May 2016
Mount L Su S Su E
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Introduction. Patients presenting with osteoarthritis as late sequelae following pediatric hip trauma have few options aside from standard Total Hip Replacement (THR). For younger more active patients, Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty (HRA) can be offered as an alternative. HRA has been performed in the United States over the past decade and allows increased bone preservation, decreased hip dislocation rates versus THR, and potential to return to full activities. Patients presenting with end-stage hip arthritis as following prior pediatric trauma or disease often have altered hip morphology making HRA more complicated. Often Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP) patients present with short, wide femoral necks, and femoral head distortion including coxa magna or coxa plana. There often can be acetabular dysplasia in conjunction with the proximal femoral abnormalities. Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) patients have an alteration of the femoral neck and head alignment, which can make reshaping the femoral head difficult. In particular, the femoral head is rotated medially and posteriorly, reducing the anterior and lateral offset. We present a cohort of 20 patients, with history of a childhood hip disorder (SCFE or LCP), who underwent HRA to treat end-stage arthritis. Fifty percent had prior pediatric surgical intervention at an average age of 11. Method. After Institutional Review Board approval, data was reviewed retrospectively on patients with pediatric hip diseases of SCFE and LCP who underwent HRA using the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) by a single orthopaedic surgeon at a teaching institution. Harris Hip Scores (HHS), plain radiographs and blood metal ion levels were reviewed at routine intervals (12 months and annually thereafter). Those who had not returned for recent follow-up were contacted via telephone survey for a modified HHS. Results. Twenty patients had mean follow up of 2.8 years (range 1–7 years). Twelve had LCP and 8 SCFE. Median implant duration was 2.4 years. One-year metal ion testing revealed median chromium level of 2.3 ppb and median Cobalt level of 1.5 ppb. At one-year follow up, plain radiographs demonstrated all patient implants to be well-fixed, without radiolucent lines or osteolysis. Two patients at three and five-year follow-up exhibited heterotopic ossification. Mean HHS for LCP at 6 weeks post-operative was 88, and 98 at one year. Mean HHS for SCFE at 6 weeks post-operative was 77.5, and 98.6 at one year. LLD was significantly improved with an average pre-operative LLD of 12.6 mm and post op of 2.6 mm (p-value <0.001). At most recent follow-up, all retained their implants with overall average HHS of 98. Conclusion. At minimum of one-year following HRA, an increase in functional outcomes is found in patients who underwent HRA for osteoarthritis associated with LCP and SCFE with a mean HHS of 98. No increase was found in complications including femoral neck fracture or implant loosening despite technical challenges of the procedure related to proximal femoral morphologic abnormalities, or presence of acetabular dysplasia [Fig 1]


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 94-B, Issue SUPP_XXV | Pages 80 - 80
1 Jun 2012
Guyen O Pibarot V Martres S Chevillotte C Bejui-Hugues J Carret J
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Introduction. Despite improvements in prosthesis design, the clinical outcome of total hip arthroplasty still has 10% failure rate after 10 years. Component malpositioning can lead to instability, impingement, excessive wear and loosening. Computer-assisted procedures are expected to improve the accuracy of component positioning, and therefore the long-term outcome. We present an original hip navigation system that allows controlling leg lengthening, offset and stability without the use of the pelvic anterior plane. Material and Methods. Because the reliability of the pelvic anterior plane (Lewinnek plane) remains discussed, we present a computer-assisted hip replacement using a functional femoral reference plane. Direction and depth of the acetabular reaming and progression of the femoral rasp are calculated by a sophisticated algorithm, as well as the components' final position, in order to control leg lengthening and offset. In addition, the ROM to impingement (and therefore the stability) is continuously displayed relative to the position of the components. Simple graphical and numerical data in addition to virtual instruments displayed on the screen aid the surgeon during the entire procedure. Results. We report cases of hip replacements performed using the subscribed navigation system in patients with preoperative leg length discrepancy and abnormal hip morphology to emphasize the value of navigation in such cases. Conclusion. The subscribed navigation system allows accurate positioning of the components during total hip arthroplasty and enables the surgeon to control leg lengthening, offset and stability. Therefore, improved long term outcome can be expected. Longer clinical follow-up is required to confirm this assumption


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 95-B, Issue SUPP_34 | Pages 415 - 415
1 Dec 2013
Masjedi M Harris S Cobb J
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INTRODUCTION:. The 3D shape of the normal proximal femur is poorly described in current designs of proximal femur prosthesis. Research has shown that in current implant designs with small diameter femoral heads the moment arm of the ilio-psoas tendon is reduced causing weakness in full extension, while large femoral heads cause psoas tendon impingement on the femoral head neck junction [1]. The femoral head-neck junction thus directly influences the hip flexor muscles' moment arm. Mathematical modeling of proximal femoral geometry allowed a novel proximal femur prosthesis to be developed that takes into account native anatomical parameters. We hypothesized that it is possible to fit a quadratic surface (e.g. sphere, cylinder…) or combinations of them on different bone surfaces with a relatively good fit. METHODS:. Forty six ‘normal’ hips with no known hip pathology were segmented from CT data. Previous research has shown the femoral head to have a spherical shape [2], the focus here was therefore mainly on the neck. The custom-written minimization algorithm, using least squares approximation methods, was used to optimize the position and characteristics of the quadratic surface so that the sum of distances between a set of points on the femoral neck and the quadratic surface was minimized. Furthermore, to improve upon current design regarding the transition between head and the neck, we recorded the position of the head neck articular margin in addition the slope of the transition from head to neck in the above 46 hips. RESULTS:. The femoral neck was found to be represented with a good fit as a quadratic surface (hyperboloid) with an average root mean square error of 1.0 ± 0.13 among 46 hips. The femoral head was spherical with a mean ratio of 22.6 ± 1.75 mm. The shape of the femoral articular margin is a reproducible sinusoidal wave form, which appears to have two facets, one anterior and the other posterior. A sigmoid curve, provided by the Logistic Function was used to switch smoothly from the spherical head function to the hyperboloid neck function (Fig. 1). This curve provides a continuous mathematical function to describe the head/neck geometry. DISCUSSION:. Traditional designs that liken the femoral head to a sphere are an oversimplification of normal hip morphology. The precise shape of the neck and the relationship of the neck to the head are the basis of this invention. The prosthesis is designed to avoid soft tissue impingement and can be optimised in shape and size to match the patient's native morphology. Neck diameter and length can be designed to achieve the optimum head-neck ratio to further improve the range of motion produced. With the current design the pain observed due to ilio-psoas impingement to implant will be reduced. Furthermore as the implant is anatomical the function of muscles and their moment arm will be unaffected


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 95-B, Issue SUPP_28 | Pages 122 - 122
1 Aug 2013
Hefny M Rudan J Ellis R
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INTRODUCTION. Understanding bone morphology is essential for successful computer assisted orthopaedic surgery, where definition of normal anatomical variations and abnormal morphological patterns can assist in surgical planning and evaluation of outcomes. The proximal femur was the anatomical target of the study described here. Orthopaedic surgeons have studied femoral geometry using 2D and 3D radiographs for precise fit of bone-implant with biological fixation. METHOD. The use of a Statistical Shape Model (SSM) is a promising venue for understanding bone morphologies and for deriving generic description of normal anatomy. A SSM uses measures of statistics on geometrical descriptions over a population. Current SSM construction methods, based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), assume that shape morphologies can be modeled by pure point translations. Complicated morphologies, such as the femoral head-neck junction that has non-rigid components, can be poorly explained by PCA. In this work, we showed that PCA was impotent for processing complex deformations of the proximal femur and propose in its place our Principal Tangent Component (PTC) analysis. The new method used the Lie algebra of affine transformation matrices to perform simple computations, in tangent spaces, that corresponded to complex deformations on the data manifold. RESULTS. Both PCA and PTC were applied to the proximal femur dataset, from which selected femurs were reconstructed using the accumulation of components. PCA was deemed to have failed to reconstruct the surfaces because it required 65 components to achieve high coverage of the dataset. An important observation was that the head-neck junction was the most difficult section in the femur, requiring more components than other anatomical regions to reconstruct. This finding is consistent with the surgical observation that deformations occur in this junction for abnormal hip morphologies. PTC was successful in recovering 100% of the medical data using the only the first 5 components. We note that the encoding of deformation in PTC accounting for the performance increase. PTC outperformed PCA on the dataset in descriptive compactness. CONCLUSION. A standard SSM construction method was not adequate for analysing proximal femur surfaces because it could not easily model the complexity of non-rigid deformations at the head-neck junction. Principal tangent components, a novel method for using exponential maps on manifolds, accurately reconstructed the anatomical surfaces with very few components. Future work may include extending these concepts to describe joint diseases based on the shape of surfaces derived from volumetric data, such as CT or MRI. In conclusion, we have shown that differential geometry may be provide new insights to computational anatomy applications


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 94-B, Issue SUPP_XXXVIII | Pages 177 - 177
1 Sep 2012
Carsen S Beaulé PE Willis B Ward L Rakhra K Dunlap H Moroz P
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Purpose. The importance of femoral head-neck morphology in the development of early hip osteoarthritis is recognized in femeroacetabular impingement (FAI), however no studies have examined FAI morphology in the developing hip, i.e. pre-closure of the proximal femoral physis. We developed a pilot project to study prevalence of CAM-type FAI hip morphology in both the pre- and post-closure proximal femoral physes of asymptomatic children using MR-imaging. We also examined biologic markers possibly related to FAI etiology, including Vitamin D metabolites, BMI, family history, and activity levels. Method. Recruitment included volunteers with asymptomatic lower extremities, and either pre- or post-closure of the proximal femoral physis. Males were 10–12 years (pre-closure) or 15–18 years (post-closure); females were 8–10 years or 14 18 years. Phlebotomy and urine sampling were used to assess metabolic markers. MRI of bilateral hips and a clinical exam including hip impingement tests were conducted. MR imaging assessment was independent and blinded and recorded using established parameters including alpha angles measured at both the 3:00 (anterior head-neck junction) and 1:30 (antero-superior head-neck junction) radial image positions. Results. Fifty-two volunteers were recruited (32 boys, 20 girls), of whom 44 had bilateral hips imaged (88 hips). Radiographic analysis showed no CAM-type morphology in pre-closure hips and 14% in post-closure hips, using established criteria (alpha > 50.5). The difference between alpha angle measurements at 3:00 and 1:30 positions (5.16) appears significant in developing hips. Conclusion. Results confirm our ability to recruit a cohort of asymptomatic children for the proposed methodology. Collected data found FAI in 14% of the closed-physes group and 0 % in the open physes group suggesting possible physeal closure importance. The difference between 3:00 and 1:30 alpha angle measurements was significantly less than in published adult figures, further suggesting a developmental role in CAM-Type FAI. This is the first published attempt to assess CAM-type FAI morphology in the developing hip. Preliminary data suggests the period just prior to physeal closure may have significant etiological implications. New parameters for imaging angles are suggested. The study results will guide future cohort study designs


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 95-B, Issue SUPP_34 | Pages 8 - 8
1 Dec 2013
Argenson J Ollivier M Parratte S Flecher X Aubaniac J
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Introduction:. Recent studies have concluded that gender influences hip morphology at the time of surgery as well as dysplastic development of the hip. This may lead to a particular choice of implant including stem design and/or neck modularity. In this study we hypothesized that not only gender but also morphotype and etiology (primary osteoarthritis versus aseptic osteonecrosis) may be a significant factor to predict the anatomy of the hip at the time of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods:. We reviewed 690 patients undergoing THA for primary arthritis (OA) or avascular osteonecrosis (AVN) between April 2000 and June 2005 and stratified each into three groups based on their anatomic constitution: endomorph (EN), ectomorph (ECT), or mesomorph (ME) (determined by the ratio: pelvic width/total leg length measured on full-length X-rays). Two independent observers measured twice four parameters on preoperative CT scan: neck-shaft-angle angle (NSA), femoral offset value (FO), helitorsion (Ht) value and femoral neck anteversion (Av). Results:. No significant difference were observed between men and women for the four parameters with respectively: NSA (129.29° ± 5.6 versus 129.3° ± 5.7), Av (20.3° ± 8.6 versus 20.27° ± 8.6), FO (19.7 mm ± 3.98 versus 19.74 mm ± 3.98) and Ht (19.97° ± 12.2 for men and 19.94° ± 12.3). Significant difference were found for NSA: 130.1° ± 5.8 for ECT, 129.55° ± 6 for MES and 128.2° ± 5,1 for EN with p < 0.01. For Av, the values were: 18.9° ± 8.7 for ECT, 20.74° ± 8.1 for MES and 21.2° ± 8.95 for EN (p < 0.01). For FO the values were 19.1 mm ± 3.9 for ECT, 19.7 ± 4 for MES and and 20.44 mm ± 3.93 for EN (p < 0.01). No difference was found for Ht between the 3 groups. A significant difference was found between patients suffering from OA and AVN: mean NSA was 130.36° ± 8.79 for OA patients versus 127.35° ± 8.38 for those who had an AVN (p < 0.01). A value was 17.06° ± 8.1 for OA and 23.7 ± 7.89 for AVN (p < 0.01). FO value was 18.72 mm ± 3.71 for OA versus 20.75 mm ± 4.15 for AVN (p <0.01). And Ht was 18.94° ± 9.64 for OA and 21.05° ± 14.5 for AVN patients (p < 0.01). Discussion and conclusion:. Patients with short and wide morphotype (endomorph) had, irrespective of gender, lower values of NSA with greater anterversion and offset values, whereas patients with long and narrow morphotype (ectomorph) had higher values of NSA and smaller Av and FO (figure 1). In the same time patients suffering from AVN have lower NSA angle, lower Av, smaller FO and Ht (figure 2). Femoral stem design should allow the consideration of these differences to optimize the reconstruction of the hip at the time of THA including pre-operative and intra-operative modularity


Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 95-B, Issue SUPP_34 | Pages 29 - 29
1 Dec 2013
Charbonnier C Christofilopoulos P Chague S Schmid J Bartolone P Hoffmeyer P
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Introduction. Today, there is no clear consensus as to the amplitude of movement of the “normal hip”. Knowing the necessary joint mobility for everyday life is important to understand different pathologies and to better plan their treatments. Moreover, determining the hip range of motion (ROM) is one of the key points of its clinical examination. Unfortunately this process may lack precision because of movement of other joints around the pelvis. Our goal was to perform a preliminary study based on the coupling of MRI and optical motion capture to define precisely the necessary hip joint mobility for everyday tasks and to assess the accuracy of the hip ROM clinical exam. Methods. MRI was carried out on 4 healthy volunteers (mean age, 28 years). A morphological analysis was performed to assess any bony abnormalities. Two motion capture sessions were conducted: one aimed at recording routine activities (stand-to-sit, lie down, lace the shoes while seated, pick an object on the floor while seated or standing) known to be painful or prone to implant failures. During the second session, a hip clinical exam was performed successively by 2 orthopedists (2 and 12 years' experience), while the motion of the subjects was simultaneously recorded (Fig.1). These sequences were captured: 1) supine: maximal flexion, maximal IR/ER with hip flexed 90°, maximal abduction; 2) seated: maximal IR/ER with hip and knee flexed 90°. A hand held goniometer was used by clinicians to measure hip angles in those different positions. Hip joint kinematics was computed from the markers trajectories using a validated optimized fitting algorithm which accounted for skin motion artifacts (accuracy: translational error≍0.5 mm, rotational error <3°). The resulting computed motions were applied to patient-specific hip joint 3D models reconstructed from their MRI data (Fig. 2). Hip angles were determined at each point of the motion thanks to two bone coordinate systems (pelvis and femur). The orthopedist's results were compared. Results. All subject's hips were morphologically normal. For all movements, a minimum of 95° hip flexion was required (mean range 95°–107°), lacing the shoes and lying down being the more demanding. Abduction/adduction and IR/ER remained low (± 20°) and variable across subjects. Regarding the clinical exam, the error made by the clinicians varied in the range of ± 10°, except for the flexion and abduction where the error was higher (flexion: mean 9.5°, range −7°–22°; abduction: mean 19.5°, range: 8–32°). No significant differences between the errors made by the two examiners were noted (mean error for each examiner: 7.4° vs. 8.4°). Conclusion. Daily activities of a “normal hip” involve intensive hip flexion, which could explain why such motion can yield hip pain or possible implant failure. This information should be considered in the surgical planning and prosthesis design when restoring patient mobility and stability. The clinical exam seems to be a precise method for determining hip passive motion, if extra care is taken to stabilize the pelvis during flexion and abduction to prevent overestimation of the ROM. Further studies including more subjects are required before attesting the accuracy of this test