Author(s)

Ahmed Elmorsy^1*, Sarah Whitehouse², John Timperley³, Stephen Veitch⁴

¹Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK.
²Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
³Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK.
⁴Salisbury district Hospital, Salisbury, UK.

This study compared proximal femoral morphology in patients living in soft and hard water regions. The proximal femoral morphology of two groups of 70 patients living in hard and soft water regions with a mean age of 72.29 (range: 50 to 87 years) was measured using an antero-posterior radiograph of the non-operated hip with magnification adjusted. The medullary canal diameter at the level of the lesser trochanter (LT) was significantly wider in patients living in the hard water region (mean width: 1.9 mm wider; p = 0.003). No statistical significant difference was found in the medullary canal width at 10 cm below the level of LT, Dorr index, or Canal Bone Ratio (CBR). In conclusion, the proximal femoral morphology does differ in patients living in soft and hard water areas. These results may have an important clinical bearing in patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery. Further research is needed to determine whether implant survivorship is affected in patients living in hard and soft water regions.

Hip, Hard Water, Soft Water, Femoral Cortical Thickening, Medullary Diameter

Elmorsy, A. , Whitehouse, S. , Timperley, J. and Veitch, S. (2016) Proximal Femoral Cortical Thickness and Medullary Canal Diameter in Soft and Hard Water Regions. Open Journal of Orthopedics, 6, 58-62. doi: 10.4236/ojo.2016.63009.