Geometrical Analysis of the Proximal Femur and the Clinical Application in Total Hip Replacement: A Study of the Igbo Population of South East Nigeria.

Abstract

Adult hip reconstruction following trauma and hip pathologies depends on a sound knowledge of the proximal femoral geometry (PFG), which varies from one ethnic population to another. The aim of the study, therefore, was to evaluate parameters of the proximal femoral geometry in Igbos of South Eastern Nigeria. A 5-year review of normal X-rays of the pelvis showing both hips of patients' age 18-64 between 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016 at Radiology Department of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu was done. There were 554 patients, 273 (49.3%) males and 281 (50.7%) females. The values of the head width established in this study showed there was a mean difference between the right and left proximal femurs, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was statistical significant difference (P < 0.05) between the means of the parameters of the proximal femoral geometry when compared between gender, the only exception being the left medial cortical thicknes, which did not show any difference (P > 0.05). A comparison of means of PFG parameters of the Igbos and that of the Turkish population showed that there was statistically significant difference on both sides. Our study demonstrated that there was no difference in the means of both sides of femoral neck width and the intertrochanteric width of the left side. The correlations between PFG parameters showed that there was strong positive correlation that was significant apart from the right acetabular angle that did not correlate with other parameters.