Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2022; 13: 21514593221074176.

Efficacy of Supercapsular Percutaneously-Assisted Total Hip Arthroplasty in the Elderly With Femoral Neck Fractures: A Meta-analysis

Fulong Zhao, MD, PhD,1 Yang Xue, MD,1 Xuefei Wang, MD,corresponding author1 and Yunjia Zhan, MD1

Hip

Introduction

Supercapsular Percutaneously-Assisted Total Hip (SuperPATH) approach is a novel minimally invasive surgical technique for total hip arthroplasty (THA). This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the outcomes following THA via the SuperPATH approach in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures (FNFs), compared with those via traditional surgical approaches.

Methods

Eligible studies were retrieved through searching 7 electronic databases and manually screening related references. Objectives were surgical-related parameters, functional outcomes, and incidence of postoperative complications.

Results

9 comparative studies were included. Pooled results suggested that at the cost of longer operative time (WMD: 14.25, 95% CI: 3.25 to 25.25), the SuperPATH technique was superior to traditional approaches regarding incision length (WMD: −4.51, 95% CI: −6.46 to −2.56), intraoperative blood loss (WMD: −80.47, 95% CI: −122.36 to −38.57), and hospital stays (WMD: −3.35, 95% CI: −5.05 to −1.65). SuperPATH groups exhibited significantly increased Harris Hip Scores within 1 month after surgery (7d, WMD: 9.85, 95% CI: 6.40 to 13.30; 14d, WMD: 10.68, 95% CI: 8.29 to 13.08; 1 month, WMD: 6.17, 95% CI: 3.56 to 8.78) and had a reduced incidence of overall complications (OR: .19, 95% CI: .09 to .41). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding postoperative pain relief.

Conclusion

Elderly patients with FNFs are potential candidates for THA treatment via the SuperPATH technique, which is associated with improved surgical outcomes, better short-term functional recovery, and lower risk of total complications as compared to traditional approaches. Additional studies are needed to further confirm our conclusions and validate the long-term efficacy of SuperPATH.

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