The spinopelvic relationship made simple: What every hip surgeon needs to know to prevent instability in high-risk patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty

Abstract

Increasingly the relationship between the hip and spine has become recognized as a risk factor for postoperative instability following total hip arthroplasty. Thorough understanding of the relationship between the spine and pelvis, spinopelvic parameters, and normal and pathologic spinopelvic motion is critical to surgical planning and prevention of instability after total hip arthroplasty. This review details spinopelvic motion and postural changes that predispose patients to instability, guides readers through a preoperative risk assessment tool and our stepwise protocol to classify spinopelvic motion and prevent instability.