Direct anterior approach or posterior approach in total hip arthroplasty: A direct comparative study protocol

BACKGROUND: Two familiar surgical methods, posterior approach (PA) and direct anterior approach (DAA), have been extensively utilized in the treatment of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with similar long-term rates of success. The sufficient sample size and a good clinical trial are urgently needed. Considering the above factors, we implemented a retrospective research to compare the prognosis of patients with primary THA receiving the techniques of PA or DAA. METHODS: This is an observational retrospective research that prospectively collected information via several surgeons at a center utilizing the 2 above treatment methods for unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty. A review of primary THA performed with DAA or PA between February 2017 and February 2019 was conducted in our hospital. The inclusion criteria contained the degenerative changes in end-stage of hip owing to the rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoarthritis, as well as the Crowe I and II dysplasia that did not require the enhancement. The primary endpoint was the Harris hip score. The measures of secondary outcome contained the operation time, length of incision, hospital stay, the complications after operation, as well as patient satisfaction. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 was utilizing for the statistical analysis (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY). RESULTS: We assumed that the 2 treatment methods possess similar results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry6008).