Complication Rates for the Anterior Approach to Total Hip Arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries performed in the United States. Orthopedic surgeons have looked to minimally invasive approaches for THA to reduce peri- and postoperative complications, and to improve patients' quality of life; the anterior approach THA has been advocated as such a minimally invasive surgery. This study involved a retrospective chart review of 2647 consecutive unilateral THAs using the anterior approach. The following parameters and complications were examined: patient demographics, surgery duration (open to close), postoperative length of stay, intraoperative fractures requiring internal fixation, femoral or sciatic nerve injuries with or without motor loss, deep infections managed with operative irrigation and debridement, deep venous thromboses (DVTs), and dislocations. Mean patient age and body mass index were 65 years and 29.78 kg/m2, respectively. Mean length of surgery was 69.1 minutes, and mean length of stay was 1.6 days postoperatively. The complication rates were as follows: dislocations, 19 (0.72%); DVT, 12 (0.45%); fractures, 13 (0.49%); infections, 49 (1.85%); and nerve injuries, 11 (0.42%). These findings demonstrate the anterior approach to THA has very low complication rates and acceptably low rates of infection. In addition, the minimally invasive THA has an acceptably low duration and a substantially reduced length of stay compared with more traditional THA approaches. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(3):e147-e150.].