Comparison of Primary Total Hip Arthroplasties Performed with a Minimally Invasive Technique or a Standard Technique. A Prospective and Randomized Study

Abstract

The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to compare the early results of primary total hip arthroplasties performed with a minimally invasive technique or a standard technique. A consecutive series of 70 patients who underwent primary bilateral simultaneous total hip arthroplasties was studied. All procedures were performed through a posterolateral approach. Operative times and duration of hemovac drains were significantly shorter in the group with a minimally invasive technique (P < .05). However, there was a risk of infection when using this technique. There were no any late transfusions in any of our patients postdischarge. This minimally invasive technique did not offer any advantages because the results were not different, and in our hands, it increased our infection rate. © 2006.