Anterior Approach of Total Hip Arthroplasty, a Systematic Review

Abstract

There are 3 commonly used surgical approaches to the hip: the anterior, lateral and direct lateral and posterior approaches. Each one is different from the other in anatomy, technical aspects, outcome and complications. However there is no current consensus regarding which approach is the most suitable. The outcomes of interest were VAS, HHS and postoperative total complications after THA. Methods of measure for these outcomes were used according to the original studies. The lowest VAS pain and highest HHS after THA is the anterior approach followed by the lateral approach. The best approach that had the lowest complications was posterior followed by the lateral approach, and the anterior approach had the highest risk of having complications after THA. Although the anterior approach had efficient postoperative outcomes, it should still be used with caution due to the high complication rates.