Influence of Surgical Approach on Pelvic Lift in Hip Arthroplasty During Cup Insertion

The position of the acetabular cup is a major factor in the long-term outcome of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Malpositioning of the acetabular cup frequently has been reported with the use of a minimally invasive implantation technique. It remains unclear whether the limited visibility or the increased retractor traction and thus tilting of the pelvis during cup implantation is the cause. This study investigated the influence of iatrogenically related pelvic lift using an anterolateral minimally invasive THA technique. In a group of 30 consecutive patients who underwent THA via a minimally invasive anterolateral approach, iatrogenic lifting of the pelvis was measured with a smartphone using a 3-axis accelerometer and compared with patients in a historical age- and sex-matched control group who underwent THA using a transgluteal approach. Postoperatively, the inclination and anteversion of the cup was determined on pelvic radiographs. In the anterolateral group, the pelvis was lifted by a maximum of 6.3° and by an average of 3.9° when the acetabular cup was impacted; no difference was noted compared with the transgluteal group. In contrast, the cups in the anterolateral group showed significantly increased inclination and reduced anteversion. In both techniques, the iatrogenic tilting of the pelvis at the time of cup implantation occurred to a comparable extent. Therefore, the significant differences in postoperative radiographs cannot be attributed to increased retractor traction on exposure of the acetabulum, which means that the limited visibility must be responsible. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(4):e589-e593.].