Achieving the correct inclination angle for the acetabular component in total hip arthroplasty (THR) can be technically challenging. The aim of this study is to validate the use of a simple, laser-guided system to address the acetabular cup inclination angle intraoperatively and quantify its accuracy and repeatability across users. A simple inclinometer system was manufactured, consisting of a laser that snaps into both the inclinometer and the handle of a standard trial cup impacter. The system functions as follows:
desired inclination angle is set on the inclinometer, inclinometer is positioned on the acetabulum, laser beam is projected onto and marked on a screen outside of the surgical exposure, the impacter is reoriented in the acetabulum until the laser beam aligns with the recorded mark on the screen. A validation study was performed on this system using intact cadavers (N=4). A THR-specific. Trial acetabular components were installed unilaterally in each donor using both the laser inclinometer system with an in-line mounted intraoperative navigation system (NaviVision, Vector Vision Hip 3.1, BrainLab) serving as the measurement standard. Three orthopaedic surgeons participated in the study, two experienced with the device (“experts”) and one “novice”, and each surgeon performed two sequential validation experiments:
10 trials at a set device inclination angle, and 5 trials of matching the trial cup placement to this set angle. Using the laser-guided system, the inclination angle of the trial cup deviated from the desired orientation by 1.1±0.9° (mean st. dev; range: 0–3°) for all specimens across all operators. The corresponding error in anteversion angle was 1.4±1.3° (range: 0–5°). There was no difference in inclination angle between expert and novice surgeons (1.0±0.8° versus 1.1±1.2°, respectively; p>
0.10 for unpaired t-test). To set the desired inclination angle on the trial cup, original and final laser target positions were within 4.1±2.5 cm at 1 m screen placement. Results suggest that the laser-guided system has sufficient accuracy and repeatability for use intra-operatively. Inclination angles differed from prescribed angles by 1° on average, and malalignment in anteversion was subclinical, ≤5° for all cases. Furthermore, the tolerance for laser re-alignment sufficiently large (5–10 cm) to make the device functional intraoperatively. Future work will focus on expanding the sample size and correcting simple design limitations in the device.
