Patients with lomber disc herniation without any hip related symptoms and osteoarthritis findings at their pelvic x-rays, whom were elected to go surgery at our neurosurgery department, comprised the study group (group P). The control group (Group C) was based on the computed tomographic analysis of hip joints that had already been performed on patients who were referred to our radiology department, because of abdomino-pelvic diseases and who had healthy hip joints in their scanograms without any symptoms related to lumbar vertebrae or hip joint. Our local ethics committee approved this study. Written and informed consents were obtained from both the patients and the control subjects.
20 patients (group P), 20 control subjects (group C) were included. Demographic data is present at Table I.
The CT examinations were performed in supine position with femurs in neutral rotation and the hips and knees in extension and with the patellae pointing directly upwards. Scanograms were obtained between the anterior superior iliac spine and the level distal to the knee joint in the frontal plane.
Patients were scanned according to standard departmental protocols at 120 kVp and 140 to180 mAs depending on patient weight and/or girth. Axial CT images with 3 mm slice thickness were obtained within the framework of standart departmental protocols.
Using Sectra Workstation IDS7 V20.2.10.3376 (Sectra AB, Sweden), femoral anteversion (FeAv), acetabular anteversion (AA), centre of edge angle (CE), degree of hip flexion , extension, Harris Hip scores (HHS) were evaluated bilaterally at both groups [8,14].
The FeAv was calculated as the angle between the projected head–neck line and the line that intersects the anterior and posterior condylar tangents. The tomogram section with largest head diameter was projected on the other section with largest, best vision of femur neck. The centres of femur head and femur neck were identified. The projected head–neck line was determined by connecting these two centres. While measuring acetabular anteversion, A coronal slice (slice B ) was selected giving optimum visualization of the pelvic teardrop (Figure 1), obliquity caused by improper positioning of the patient in the CT scanner was controlled by drawing a baseline intersecting the most posterior edges of the ilium (Figure 2). Acetabular anteversion then was measured in the axial section corresponding to slice B in the coronal plane (Figure 2). Acetabular anteversion describes the angulation of a line through the anterior lip of the acetabulum and the lip of the posterior acetabulum with the sagittal plane.
Statistics
The SPSS for Windows version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago,IL, USA) was used to place the data. Chi-Square test was used to compare the groups for the distribution female and male subjects. Mann–Whitney test was used to investigate sex, tested variables difference between groups. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare herniated side’s parameters to contralateral asymptomatic side.