Anthropometric study of angle of femoral torsion in Maharashtrian population

Abstract

Introduction: Angle of femoral torsion is a normal torsion or twist present in femur that plays an important role in stability and function of the hip joint. The angle of femoral torsion can be defined as the angle formed by femoral condyle's plane (bicondylar plane) and a plane passing through center of neck and femoral head. Abnormal angle of femoral torsion has been implicated in the etiology of hip osteoarthrosis and developmental dysplasia of hip joint. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on unpaired 280, adult human femora devoid of any gross pathology, 139 male (65 right and 74 left), and 141 female (71 right and 70 left) from bone banks of three medical colleges of Maharashtra. The gender of each specimen was determined by the established practice. Femora were evaluated by Kingsley Olmsted method, and data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: The average angle of femoral torsion 13.39° and 11.23° on the right and left side respectively in male, 16.21° and 13.23° on the right and left side, respectively, in female. Statistical analysis using Student's t-test revealed significant difference (P < 0.05), greater angle of femoral torsion in female and on the right side. Conclusion: Knowledge of angle of femoral torsion is becoming significant nowadays with an increase in demand for total hip replacement, as the angle of femoral torsion is crucial to attain a normal activity of the replaced joint.