Accuracy of Digital Preoperative Templating in 100 Consecutive Uncemented Total Hip Arthroplasties: A Single Surgeon Series

Digital templating is an accurate method of assessing femoral and acetabular component sizes. This allows surgeons to foresee potential problems and also recognize an intraoperative error when a large discrepancy exists between a trial component and the templated size. Preoperative templating data of pelvic radiographs from 100 consecutive patients receiving uncemented implants were templated with Orthoview software (version 2.0CEN; Meridian Technique Ltd, Southampton, United Kingdom). Seventy-five percent of stems were templated to within 0.5 size, and 98%, to within 1 size. Eighty percent of cups were templated to within 2 mm, and 98%, to within 4 mm, and 62% of head length was accurately template. Seven patients were converted from a templated 132° to a 127° femoral prosthesis neck angle. The mean lower limb length discrepancy was + 0.05 mm (SD, 5.1 mm) postoperatively.