Excellent Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes with Direct Superior Total Hip Arthroplasty with a Minimum of Two-Year Follow Up

Abstract

This study aims to establish the midterm safety and performance for the direct superior approach to minimally invasive surgery total hip arthroplasty (MIS-THA). We used a unicentric, single-surgeon, retrospective, consecutive case series analysis of the first 40 patients who received primary unilateral direct superior MIS-THA. Special attention was given to functional recovery by measuring Harris Hip Score (HHS) and timed-up-and-go (TUG) with a mean follow up of 2.2 ± 0.4 years. A radiologic evaluation was performed. HHS and TUG improved significantly at three months and one year (p < 0.001). All components were placed within the Lewinnek safe zone with no change position or signs of loosening at two years. With a minimum of two years of follow up, the direct superior approach appears to be safe without any obvious or consistent postoperative complications—clinically or radiographically—with excellent functional recovery. Additionally, our subgroup analysis supported no late learning curve effect.