Preoperative Templating ^{4 []}
Templating is useful for predicting limb lengths. With acrylic templates, the surgeon is able to predict the approximate change in limb length by noting the relationship of various implant landmarks, such as the hip center and its relationship to fixed bony landmarks (eg, the tear drop, the lesser trochanter). The surgeon also can note how these landmarks change with acetabular and femoral implants of various size.

The templates are designed to fit the internally rotated anteroposterior view of the femur. Ideally the ipsilateral side, when available, should be templated first to determine the potential correct sizes for both the acetabular and femoral components. It is important to remember that radiographs typically are magnified up to 20%.

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