Trochanteric transfer in total hip replacement: Effects on the moment arms and force-generating capacities of the hip abductors

A three-dimensional computer model of the pelvis, femur, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus was used to evaluate the changes in muscle moment arms and force-generating capacities caused by alterations in the location of the greater trochanter. In the first part of this study, the hip center and all other aspects of joint geometry remained unaltered, while we examined changes in abduction moment arms that resulted from transfer of the trochanteric fragment to a wide variety of positions on the femur. The largest increase in average abduction moment arm was 11% (0.5 cm), which occurred with an anterolateral transfer. Most transfers resulted in moment arm changes of less than 5%. In the second part of this study, the hip center was displaced 2 cm superiorly and the effects of a distal trochanteric transfer on the moment arms and force-generating capacities of the abductors were analyzed. The superior displacement caused a 13% decrease in the moment arm of the abductors and a 43% decrease in their force-generating capacity. The moment arm was not restored by distal transfer of the greater trochanter; however, distal transfer had the major advantage of restoring muscle lengths and force-generating capacities. These results suggest that trochanteric transfer should be considered primarily as a means to restore muscle length because it has limited potential to increase the moment arms of the two primary hip abductors.