MicroHip: a minimally invasive procedure for total hip replacement surgery using a modified Smith-Peterson approach.

This article presents an anterior, minimally invasive surgical approach to the hip joint, aligned along an inter-nervous plane. Positioning in lateral decubitus position on a regular operation table obviates the need for a special orthopedic or fracture table. Traction is not applied. Most of the instruments used for this procedure are standard instruments for reaming of the acetabulum and positioning of the cup; specific, angulated instruments are recommended at least for obese patients. Using an incision of < 6-8 cm, this MI approach provides a perfect view of the acetabulum and proximal femur,including natural landmarks for proper implant positioning. The approach follows the gap between the tensor muscle and the gluteus medius muscle, using part of the anterior ilo-femoral Smith-Peterson approach. No tendons or muscles are cut or detached. The joint capsule is split and left in place. The hip joint is not dislocated; we perform the osteotomy of the femoral neck in situ. To date we have performed several hundred MicroHip operations, with no nerve lesions or trochanter fractures. Definitive results are not yet available, but our experience to date shows that this method can be used with virtually any patient, while such factors as hospitalization time, pain, blood loss and work incapacity can be cut almost in half. The MicroHip technique, used by an increasing number of clinics around the world, can be successfully applied by good surgeons after suitable training.