Little Clinical Advantage of Modified Watson-Jones Approach Over Modified Mini-Incision Direct Lateral Approach in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty

This study compared the clinical outcomes of total hip arthroplasty using a minimally invasive anterolateral approach with a muscle-sparing technique (modified Watson-Jones approach) and the modified mini-incision direct lateral approach. We randomly assigned 102 patients to the muscle-sparing group (n = 52) or the mini-incision direct lateral group (n = 50). Muscle strength recovery of hip abduction at 6 weeks after surgery was better, and creatine kinase level at 1 day after surgery was lower in the muscle-sparing group than in the mini-incision direct lateral group (P < .01). However, there was no difference in the Harris hip score, pain visual analog scale, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 score between the 2 groups throughout the 1-year study period.