German surgeons’ technical preferences for performing total hip arthroplasties: a survey from the National Endoprosthesis Society

PURPOSE: The goal of our study was to conduct an online survey that highlights patterns of practice during total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: The survey was conducted in June and August 2020. Three hundred thirteen members of the German Society for Endoprosthesis participated in the survey. RESULTS: The anterolateral approach is by far the most popular approach used for primary total hip arthroplasty, followed by the anterior approach during minimally invasive (55% for the anterolateral and 29% for the anterior) and regular surgery (52% for the anterolateral and 20% for the anterior). Two-thirds of the orthopaedic surgeons do not use drainages during THA. Moreover, 80% of the survey participants routinely apply tranexamic acid during surgery. Surgeons who perform minimally invasive surgery for THA use more frequently fast-track-concepts for post-operative rehabilitation. According to the interviewees, the application of fast-track-concepts leads to reduced periods of hospital stay after THA. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that patterns of practice during THA in Germany are in line with the evidence provided by current literature. This study can be seen as a stimulus to conduct similar surveys in other countries in order to promote minimally invasive surgery for THA.