Predictive value of preoperative digital templating in THA depends on the surgical experience of the performing physician.

Digital preoperative templating is increasingly used to predict the correct component size in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Experienced surgeons could avoid the new technique and rely on a digital template done by a younger colleague. We compared the accuracy of preoperative templating between orthopedic residents (group A) and an experienced orthopedic surgeon (group B). In 106 cases, the software-predicted component sizes of both groups were compared with component sizes placed surgically. An accurate prediction of the acetabular component was achieved in 63% of cases in group A compared with 88% of cases in group B (P=.001). Concerning the femoral component, accurate prediction was achieved in 89% in group A and 97% in group B (P=.021). If performed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon, digital templating is an accurate method to predict the prosthetic component size in THA. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.