A device to make the pelvic sagittal plane horizontal and reduce error in cup inclination during total hip arthroplasty: a validation study

Introduction: Radiological inclination (RI) is determined in part by operative inclination (OI), which is defined as the angle between the cup axis or handle and the sagittal plane. In lateral decubitus the theatre floor becomes a surrogate for the pelvic sagittal plane. Critically at the time of cup insertion if the pelvic sagittal plane is not parallel to the floor either because the upper hemi pelvis is internally rotated or adducted, RI can be much greater than expected. We have developed a simple Pelvic Orientation Device (POD) to help achieve a horizontal pelvic sagittal plane. Methods: A model representing the posterior aspect of the pelvis was created. This permitted known movement in 2 planes to simulate internal rotation and adduction of the upper hemi pelvis, with 15 known pre-set positions. 20 participants tested the POD in 5 random, blinded position combinations, providing 200 readings. The accuracy was measured by subtracting each reading from the known value. Results: Two statistical outliers were identified and removed from analysis. The mean adduction error was 0.73°. For internal rotation, the mean error was −0.03°. Accuracy within 2.0° was achieved in 176 of 190 (93%) of readings. The maximum error was 3.6° for internal rotation and 3.1° for adduction. Conclusion: In a model pelvis the POD provided an accurate and reproducible method of achieving a horizontal sagittal plane. Applied clinically, this simple tool has the potential to reduce the high values of RI sometimes seen following THA in lateral decubitus.