The Effect of Femoral Malrotation in Offset Templating for Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Cadaveric Study and Curvilinear Analysis

Techniques allow assessment of preoperative offset in hip arthroplasty. This study assessed femoral rotation in preoperative offset templating using a cadaveric model. Ten femurs were imaged at degrees of rotation. Offset was measured. A generalizable equation predicting change in offset was derived with a curvilinear model. Statistically significant differences at rotational positions were found. For 30 degrees of internal rotation, 2.1 mm change in adjusted mean offset existed; for 30 degrees of external rotation, 8.4 mm change existed. Improved awareness of malrotation of the proximal femur and templating adjustments may improve total hip arthroplasty outcomes. This study reflects level of evidence III.

Custom 3D-Printed Cutting Guides for Femoral Osteotomy in Rotational Malalignment Due to Diaphyseal Fractures: Surgical Technique and Case Series

Femoral shaft fractures are one of the most common injuries in trauma patients. The gold standard treatment consists of closed reduction and intramedullary nailing, providing a high fracture healing rate and allowing early mobilization. However, rotational malalignment is a well-known complication following this procedure, and excessive femoral anteversion or femoral retroversion can trigger functional complaints. In order to achieve the ideal degree of femoral rotation, a 3D planning and printing cutting guides procedure was developed to correct femoral malrotation. A patient series with malalignment after a femoral diaphyseal fracture was operated on with the customized guides and evaluated in this study. Computed tomography scans were performed to accurately determine the number of degrees of malrotation, allowing the design of specific and personalized surgical guides to correct these accurately. Once designed, they were produced by 3D printing. After surgery with the customized guides to correct femoral malrotation, all patients presented a normalized anteversion angle of the femur (average −10.3°, range from −5° to −15°), according to their contralateral limb. These data suggest that the use of customized cutting guides for femoral osteotomy is a safe and reproducible surgical technique that offers precise results when correcting femoral malrotation.