Computer-assisted total hip arthroplasty: the present and the future

Abstract

Computer technologies have revolutionized different aspects of medical practice and recently, computer-assisted orthopedic surgery (CAOS) has opened a new frontier in less invasive and more accurate surgical practice. This enabling technology has the ability to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of surgical techniques, allow new, demanding procedures that could not otherwise be performed, provide objective means with which to measure surgical performance and outcomes and supply powerful training tools. There are different modalities of CAOS, but navigation techniques are by far the most commonly used in clinical settings. Surgeons have used CAOS for total hip arthroplasty (THA) to plan precisely the alignment of the implants and provide exact real-time measurement during surgery. The capabilities of CAOS have also been coupled with the benefits of minimally invasive techniques in THA and resurfacing arthroplasty. Currently, the application of CAOS in THA is still in its infancy. However, future appl...