Comparison of preoperative templating with postoperative assessment in cementless total hip arthroplasty.

We studied how preoperative templating corresponded to the postoperative leg length in total hip arthroplasty. On average, the preoperative predictive value of the desired corrective change in leg length was +4.9 (+4.0-+6.7) mm, while the true postoperative assessed value of the corrective change in leg length was +4.7 (+4.0-+6.3) mm. On preoperative radiographs, the ratio of the horizontal offset of a pathological side to a normal side was 95%, on average, and it increased to 96%, on average, after an operation. Preoperatively planned sizes of the acetabular cup and the femoral stem by templating showed a high rate of coincidence with the sizes used intraoperatively. In conclusion, an accurate and careful preoperative templating can result in a balanced hip reconstruction by correcting the leg length differences and restoring the offsets.