Lower Dislocation Rate Following Total Hip Arthroplasty via Direct Anterior Approach than via Posterior Approach: Five-Year-Average Follow-Up Results

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the dislocation rate between total hip arthroplasty (THA) via direct anterior approach (DAA) and via posterior approach (PA). METHODS: We compared a consecutive series of 139 THAs via DAA with 177 THAs via PA. All study patients received ceramic-on-ceramic bearing surfaces and similar uncemented prostheses. Dislocation-free survival after THA was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier survival method and compared between groups using the log-rank test. RESULTS: In the DAA group, none of 139 hips experienced dislocations in five-year-average follow-up. In the PA group, seven hips experienced dislocations among 177 hips (4 %). The dislocation was significantly less in the DAA group compared to the PA group (p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: The dislocation rate of THA via DAA was significantly less than that of THA via PA.