Monitoring Hip Posture in Total Hip Arthroplasty Using an Inertial Measurement Unit-Based Smart Trial System: An in vitro Validation Experiment

Abstract Intraoperative measurement of hip posture is the basis for assessing hip range of motion (ROM) and predicting postoperative functional limits allowable for activities of daily living. Although computer navigation for total hip arthroplasty (THA) has improved the accuracy of intraoperative ROM evaluation, it has not gained widespread popularity due to its complex and time-consuming protocol. We therefore developed an Inertial Measurement Unit-based Hip Smart Trial system (IMUHST) for intraoperative monitoring of hip posture. An in vitro validation experiment was conducted using sawbones with a three-dimensional measurement model as the reference standard. The absolute mean error, Bland – Altman analysis and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient demonstrated that the validity and reliability of this system meets the requirement for clinical application. Given that monitoring posture is the basis for evaluating the direction(s) of potential impingement, subluxation and dislocation, the IMUHST is a promising development direction of computer assisted surgery in THA.