A patient-specific acetabular guide for use in orienting an acetabular component with respect to an acetabulum of a patient as part of a surgical procedure includes a body having a bottom contact surface that has a portion that is shaped and configured to initimately receive and interlockingly mate with an acetabular notch of the patients acetabulum in accordance with a three-dimensional image of the acetabulum of the specific patient. The three-dimensional image can be in the form of a three-dimensional virtual model of the patients acetabulum that is constructed at least in part on 3D image data of the pelvic region of the patient.
