Reconstruction Guide for the Measurement of Segmental Labral Insufficiency: An Alternative Technique for Acetabular Labral Reconstruction

Abstract

The acetabular labrum is a dynamic structure important for both hip stability and functional motion. Given its importance, injuries to the labrum result in significant symptomatic dysfunction caused by altered hip kinematics. Although labral repair represents the standard for symptomatic labral tears with underlying bony deformity, complex labral tears or those with significant degeneration may not be amenable to repair and require labral reconstruction. Labral reconstruction has been shown to restore intra-articular fluid pressurization to levels similar to those in the intact state, and cohort studies have increasingly demonstrated significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes at midterm follow-up. A critical component of successful labral reconstruction is accurate measurement of the graft length to restore native anatomy and kinematics of the hip. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe a way to accurately measure graft length required for labral reconstruction.