Anatomic Navigation Using the Transverse Acetabular Ligament for Acetabular Component Positioning in Total Hip Arthroplasty Through the Direct Anterior Approach

The transverse acetabular ligament (TAL) is a reliable native anatomic landmark that can be used to guide accurate acetabular implant positioning during total hip arthroplasty through the direct anterior approach. The accurate acetabular implant position is defined by the preoperative plan, which corresponds to the Lewinnek safe zone. This article describes the anatomy of the TAL , exposure of the TAL, and pearls and pitfalls for exposure of the acetabulum during total hip arthroplasty through the direct anterior approach. This article discusses how the TAL is used to guide acetabular implant positioning and describes pilot data from our single surgeon case series (n = 31).