Abstract: Introduction: Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), a widely practiced surgical intervention for managing debilitating hip joint diseases, has demonstrated great success in providing pain relief and restoring joint function. This study was aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of THA using the anterior approach versus the posterior approach.
Methods: A total of 128 patients who underwent THA were retrospectively evaluated. Sixty-four patients had surgery using the anterior approach and 64 using the posterior approach. Demographic characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The primary outcomes were the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain at six months postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included complication rates, length of hospital stay, and readmission within six months of surgery.
Results: At 6 months postoperatively, the Anterior Approach group had a slightly higher HHS (mean 85.6, SD 7.5) compared to the Posterior Approach group (mean 84.1, SD 8.3), suggesting better hip function. The Anterior Approach group also reported a lower mean VAS score (2.5, SD 1.4) than the Posterior Approach group (3.0, SD 1.6), indicating less pain. Fewer patients in the Anterior Approach group experienced dislocation (3.1% vs 7.8%) and infection (1.6% vs 3.1%), but a higher incidence of nerve injury was observed (4.7% vs 0%). The Anterior Approach group had a slightly shorter mean hospital stay (3.2 days, SD 1.1) compared to the Posterior Approach group (3.5 days, SD 1.3) and a lower readmission rate within six months postoperatively (6.3% vs 9.4%).
Conclusion: The results suggest that patients who underwent THA via the Anterior Approach had slightly better functional outcomes, experienced less pain, and had a lower risk of certain complications than those who underwent the Posterior Approach. However, there was a slightly higher risk of nerve injury in the Anterior Approach group.
