Can the use of an inclinometer improve acetabular cup inclination in total hip arthroplasty? A review of the literature

Introduction: The angle of acetabular (cup) radiographic inclination is an important measurement in total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures. Abnormal radiographic inclination is associated with dislocation, edge loading and higher failure rates. Consistently achieving a satisfactory radiographic inclination remains a challenge. Inclinometers have been increasingly used over the last decade. This paper reviews the literature to determine whether using an inclinometer improves the accuracy of acetabular cup inclination in THA.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed. The following search terms were used: (‘hip’ OR ‘hip replacement’ OR ‘hip arthroplasty’ OR ‘primary hip replacement’ OR ‘THR’ OR ‘THA’ OR ’Acetabular cup Inclination’) AND (‘Inclinometer’). Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance. Both radiographic and operative inclination comparisons were included.

Results: 7 studies met the inclusion criteria. 2 were randomised control trials with level I evidence, and the remaining studies were cohort studies with level III/IV evidence. 5 were clinical and 2 experimental. In total there were 16 cohorts: 7 using an inclinometer, 6 freehand, and 3 using MAG techniques. All studies comparing radiographic inclination and 1 of 2 studies comparing operative inclination showed an improvement in the attainment of the optimal inclination. Similarly, the use of an inclinometer showed a reduction in the number of outliers when compared to MAG and freehand techniques.

Discussion: This review demonstrates that using an inclinometer improved the surgeon’s ability to achieve their intended inclination (both operative and radiographic) and reduced the incidence of positioning outside the safe-zone. However, only 2 of the studies were randomised control trials and these resulted in opposing conclusions. Therefore, further studies looking at the use of inclinometers would prove useful in understanding their true benefit.