ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Clinical effects and the recovery of hip function after total hip arthroplasty via different approaches are quite different. OBJECTIVE:To observe total hip arthroplasty through lateral approach and posterolateral approach, and to evaluate the difference in hip function during 2-year fol ow-up. METHODS:Total y 93 patients who treated with total hip arthroplasty from March 2009 to March 2012 in the Department of Orthopedics, Yangjiang Municipal Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were enrol ed in this study. They were randomly divided into lateral approach group (45 cases, 60 hips) and posterolateral approach group (48 cases, 60 hips). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al patients were fol owed up for averagely 2 years. No significant difference in operation time, postoperative complications, and the recovery of hip function in the middle and late phases of replacement was visible (P>0.05). However, perioperative blood loss, operative length, blood transfusion rate, postoperative hemoglobin levels, and early postoperative hip joint functional recovery were better in the posterolateral approach group than in the lateral approach group (P0.05). Moreover, no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions was visible such as postoperative infection, dislocation, loosening, bone cement reaction, intraoperative fractures of proximal end of the femur and venous thromboembolism between lateral approach and posterolateral approach groups (P>0.05). Results indicated that posterolateral approach in total hip arthroplasty is helpful to early recovery, but long-term effects are similar to lateral approach.