Percutaneous image-guided double oblique anterior approach to the acetabulum for cementoplasty

Abstract

To report the technique of percutaneous double oblique anterior access to the acetabulum and evaluate its feasibility and safety. Pelvic computed tomography (CT) examinations of 60 patients (30 men and 30 women; mean age 62.6±13.2 years) were retrieved randomly from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS). A virtual intraosseous trajectory was defined on both sides on the axial CT images with the entry point marked 1 cm above the anterosuperior iliac spine and the endpoint defined just above the level of the ischial spine at the midpoint of the posterior acetabulum. Patient age, sagittal oblique angulation, axial oblique angulation, length of intraosseous trajectory, distance from the hip joint, thickness of the iliac bone cortex, and intervening structure(s) between the skin and the bone entry points were recorded. The mean sagittal and axial oblique angulations were 34.2±4.5° and 31.5±6.7°, respectively, and mean length of the intraosseous trajectory was 11.8±0.9 cm. The axial oblique angle and length of the intraosseous trajectory were significantly lower in the female than the male population (p<0.05). None of the virtual trajectories traversed the hip joint. In 112/120 trajectories (93.3%), there were no cortical breaches in the iliac bones. In eight trajectories in four patients, the virtual trajectory crossed either the medial iliac cortex (4/120; 3.3%) or the medial iliac cortex and the iliacus muscle (4/120; 3.3%). The anterosuperior iliac and ischial spines can be used safely and reliably as landmarks to perform the double oblique anterior approach.