The anterior approach to primary total hip arthroplasty is an unfamiliar approach to most surgeons that is considered to be minimally invasive based on the premise that there is less soft tissue damage and quicker post-operative recovery time. We present our experience of using the anterior approach exclusively by a single surgeon at multiple surgical centers for a period of 3.5 years. 709 consecutive patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasties from 8/2007 to 12/2010 through a direct anterior approach were performed by single surgeon with extensive training in the approach. The procedure was performed with the patient supine on a fracture table (Trumph arch table extension) through an anterior approach as described by Dr. Joel Matta through a Smith-Peterson interval. Intra-operative data and complications were collected prospectively and to avoid missing any complications, electronic medical records (Alteer) were retrospectively reviewed.Introduction
Method
The advantages of the direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty include the preservation of external rotators and hip abductors thus leading to quicker recovery times. To our knowledge, there is no objective method in the literature to predict the level of difficulty for femoral exposure through the DAA. It would be beneficial to the surgeon learning the DAA to assess difficulty pre-operatively to avoid prolonged operative times. The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model of femoral exposure difficulty in the DAA using a combination of demographic data and radiographic measurements. 305 post-operative radiographs of consecutive THA's in patients (184 female, 120 male) with primary or secondary osteoarthritis, mean age 64.6 (range 26–91, SD=11.43) performed through the DAA by one of the co-investigators from 12/2005 to 12/2009 were retrospectively reviewed by two separate observers. The observers were blinded to the difficulty level of femoral exposure. Standard post-operative AP pelvis films were assessed with TraumaCad software (TraumaCad 2.2, Voyant Health, Columbia, MD) to make radiographic measurements as shown in Figure 1–2. Each radiograph was calibrated using the size of the femoral head implant. Exclusion criteria included films that had inadequate coverage of the entire pelvis, mal-rotation, or poor exposure. Statistical analysis was performed using STAT 9.1 (StatCorp; College Station, Texas, USA). A two-sided Kruskal–Wallis test was utilized for non-parametric data. Chi-squared tests and Fisher's Exact Test were used to compare proportions. Statistically significant associations were then added to a multivariate model predicting an outcome of difficult exposure.Introduction
Methods
