Technical Note on Modified Posterior Approach to the Hip Joint

INTRODUCTION: The posterior approach is the most commonly and relatively easy to be used to expose the hip joint. Posterior approaches allow excellent visualization of the entire acetabulum and the upper femoral shaft, and thus they are popular for revision joint replacement surgery particularly in cases where only the femoral component needs to be replaced. There may be a higher dislocation rate with minimal movement as compared to anterior approaches if the posterior approach is used in fractured neck of femur surgery in demented or elderly bedridden patients who often lie crouched in bed with their hips in a flexed and adducted position. The expected purpose of this modification of the Posterior Approach to the Hip Joint is to overcome the fear of dislocation and hence combine the advantages of the Posterior route with greater stability. TECHNIQUE: The author’s original paper written 30 years ago (Iyer, 1981) presented an original technique devised to confer greater stability to the hip joint posteriorly to minimize the greater incidence of dislocation which has been reported extensively in literature. The technique involves an osteotomy of the posterior overhanging part of the greater trochanter to include the insertions of the short lateral rotators along with the posterior third of the gluteus medius, which can then be turned back in one piece like the page of a book to include the capsule of the hip joint. This gives wide exposure of the posterior lip of the acetabulum and is relatively bloodless in its exposure. This approach is very useful in the elderly particularly demented patients requiring a hemiarthroplasty and also in primary and revision total hip replacement. This approach has been tested in cadavers to conclude the greater stability given as compared to the routine resuture or reattachment of the short lateral rotators. CONCLUSION: The modified technique provides for greater stability as compared to the Southern Approach.