Radiographic determination of the anatomic hip joint center. A cadaver study.

We studied 31 human pelvic cadaver specimens with 57 intact hip joints. The teardrop, which represents the inferior portion of the acetabular notch, was identified as also was the center of rotation in the articulating femoral head. The pelvic height and the horizontal and vertical distances between the acetabular notch and the hip joint center were measured. We found the center of rotation of the hip joint to be 13 percent of the pelvic height lateral and 7 percent of the pelvic height superior to the teardrop. No sex difference was found.