The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2005;87:701-710.
doi:10.2106/JBJS.D.02645
© 2005 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.
A Minimal-Incision Technique in Total Hip Arthroplasty Does Not Improve Early Postoperative Outcomes
A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Luke Ogonda, MRCS1,
Roger Wilson, MRCS1,
Pooler Archbold, MRCS2,
Marie Lawlor, BSc(Hons), MCSP1,
Patricia Humphreys, BSc(Hons), MCSP1,
Seamus O'Brien, PhD1 and
David Beverland, MD, FRCS1
1 Orthopaedic Outcomes Unit (L.O., R.W., S.O'B., and D.B.) and Physiotherapy
Department (M.L. and P.H.), Musgrave Park Hospital, Stockmans Lane, Belfast
BT9 7JB, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. E-mail address for L. Ogonda:
luke.ogonda{at}greenpark.n-i.nhs.uk
2 Trauma Unit, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA,
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Investigation performed at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern
Ireland, United Kingdom
A commentary is available with the electronic versions of this article,
on our web site
(www.jbjs.org)
and on our quarterly CD-ROM (call our subscription department, at
781-449-9780, to order the CD-ROM).
In support of their research or preparation of this manuscript, one or more
of the authors received grants or outside funding from DePuy International.
None of the authors received payments or other benefits or a commitment or
agreement to provide such benefits from a commercial entity. No commercial
entity paid or directed, or agreed to pay or direct, any benefits to any
research fund, foundation, educational institution, or other charitable or
nonprofit organization with which the authors are affiliated or
associated.
Background: Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty has stirred
substantial controversy with regard to whether it provides superior outcomes
compared with total hip arthroplasty performed through longer incisions. The
orthopaedic literature is deficient in well-designed scientific studies to
support the clinical superiority of this approach. The objective of this study
was to compare the results of a single mini-incision approach with those of a
standard-incision total hip arthroplasty in the early postoperative
period.
Methods: Two hundred and nineteen patients (219 hips) admitted for
unilateral total hip arthroplasty between December 2003 and June 2004 were
randomized to undergo surgery through a short incision of 10 cm or a
standard incision of 16 cm. All patients were blinded to the size of the
incision for the duration of the hospital stay. The anesthetic, analgesic, and
postoperative physiotherapy protocols were standardized, with the staff also
blinded to the technique used. A single surgeon, who had performed more than
300 short-incision hip replacements prior to the start of this study and who
performs an average of 415 primary total hip replacements a year, performed
all procedures through a single-incision posterior approach using a cementless
cup and cemented stem.
Results: The two groups were matched for age, grade according to the
system of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and body mass index. No
significant difference was detected with respect to postoperative hematocrit,
blood transfusion requirements, pain scores, or analgesic use. We found no
difference in early walking ability or length of hospital stay and no
difference in component placement, cement-mantle quality, or functional
outcome scores at six weeks. The patient variables significantly associated
with a probability of early discharge independent of incision length were
patient age and preoperative hemoglobin levels (p < 0.05). The surgical
scars contracted significantly over six weeks (p < 0.05) but by a similar
proportion of 11% to 12% in both groups.
Conclusions: Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty performed
through a single-incision posterior approach by a high-volume hip surgeon with
extensive experience in less invasive approaches to the hip is safe and
reproducible. However, it offers no significant benefit in the early
postoperative period compared with a standard incision of 16 cm. As it is not
known whether lower-volume and less-experienced surgeons can achieve similar
results, the mini-incision technique merits further study before wide
dissemination and implementation of this family of surgical approaches can be
recommended.
Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions
to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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