Postoperative Failure Frequency of Short External Rotator and Posterior Capsule With Successful Reinsertion After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Ultrasound Assessment

The reinsertion of the short external rotators and posterior capsule to the greater trochanter in the posterolateral approach has been considered an effective strategy to reduce the risk of dislocation. However, during clinical practice, no verification and monitoring of the status of such reinsertions is carried out. The objective of this study is to estimate the frequency of postoperative failure with successful reinsertion of the short external rotator and posterior capsule of the hip through ultrasound after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the posterolateral approach.

A prospective observational study was conducted involving patients with primary total hip arthroplasty via posterolateral approach in which reinsertion of hip’s short external rotators and posterior capsule were successful reinserted during surgery from January to December 2019. The status of the reinsertion was assessed with an ultrasound between the 6 and 8 weeks after surgery. Reinsertion failure was considered when the reinserted structures were not fully visualized in the ultrasound during internal and external rotation.

Sixty-eight patients were included in this study (mean age: 58.7 ± 13.8 years; 44.1% (30) women). The incidence of failure of the reinsertion of short external rotators and posterior capsule was 16.2% (n = 11) (95% confidence interval 9.3-26.7). A postoperative increased femoral offset was found more frequently in cases with failure (36.4% vs 17.5%); a similar trend was observed in the leg length discrepancy (36.4% vs 22.8%). However, these differences were not statistically significant ( P > .05).

Between the 6th and 8th postoperative week, approximately 2 of the 10 short external rotator and posterior capsule reinsertions fail in cases with successful intraoperative repair using absorbable suture. This estimate is comparable and even lower than previous reports.

II, Prospective Observational Study.