Anterior Total Hip Replacement Surgery
What is Anterior Total Hip Replacement?
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. Hip replacement surgery involves removing both the diseased ball and socket of the hip and replacing both with a ceramic ball and plastic lined titanium socket. These 2 components work together to form the ball and socket which recreates the rotational movement of your natural hip.
There are several different ways to “approach” the hip joint during replacement surgery. A direct anterior approach uses an incision over the front of the hip and utilizes a muscle spreading technique. Since no muscles get cut there can be less bleeding and damage to the soft tissues. Studies show that patients recover faster with less pain than other approaches.
Traditional Hip Replacement vs.
Direct Anterior Approach
TRADITIONAL HIP REPLACEMENT
- incision is on the side of the thigh and buttocks.
- Many of the muscles surrounding the posterior portion of the joint are cut.
- 10-12 inch incision
DIRECT ANTERIOR APPROACH
- We perform the entire procedure from the front.
- Less of the muscles surrounding the posterior portion of the joint are cut.
- 4-6 inch incision
Who is a candidate for Anterior Hip Replacement?
Patients who suffer from debilitating hip pain that does not respond to conservative treatments such as physical therapy, oral medications, activity modification, and weight loss can be candidates for anterior total hip replacement. Replacements are intended to fix the damaged parts of the joint that cause pain. Forms of degenerative joint disease include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, dysplasia, and avascular necrosis.
The average recovery time for hip replacement using Mako SmartRobotics™ can be as little as two weeks. Traditional surgical techniques may require six to eight weeks or even longer to recover. Robotic-assisted surgery can help you get back to the activities you enjoy with less pain and down time.
