Femoral neck anteversion measurement using linear slot scanning radiography

• We reconstructed femoral landmarks from stereo images using stereophotogrammetry.
• Reconstructed points were used for femoral neck anteversion (FNA) measurement.
• FNA measurements showed high intra- and inter-rater reliability.
• Validation against 3D imaging systems would confirm suitability as an alternative approach to FNA measurement.

Measurements between anatomical landmarks on radiographs are useful for diagnosis and treatment planning in the orthopedic field. Direct measurement on single radiographic images, however, does not truly reflect spatial relationships, as depth information is lost. We used stereo images from a slot scanning X-ray machine to estimate coordinates of three-dimensional (3D) bony landmarks for femoral neck anteversion (FNA) measurement. A set of 7 landmarks consisting of the centre of the femoral head; the centre of the base of the femoral neck; the medial and lateral condyles; the medial and lateral posterior condyles; and finally the centre of the knee; were found to be identifiable and suitable for radiographic measurement. The reconstructed 3D coordinates were then used to define the 3D geometry of the anatomical axes required to estimate FNA. Stereophotogrammetric measurements on a sample of 30 dry right adult femurs were compared to reference values obtained using the Kingsley Olmstead method applied to photographic images. A strong positive correlation (0.998) was found and the mean ± standard deviation of the stereophotogrammetric approach (13.08 ± 6.87)° was comparable to that of the Kingsley Olmstead method (13.14 ± 6.88)°. Intra- and inter-observer reliability were high, with the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval above 0.98 for the intra-class correlation coefficient. The results merit further validation against three dimensional imaging technology such as computed tomography, to confirm stereophotogrammetry as a suitable alternative for FNA measurement.