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Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a critical surgical intervention for patients with severe hip dysfunction primarily due to conditions such as osteoarthritis, trauma, and other degenerative diseases. The choice of surgical approach can significantly influence the outcomes of the procedure, including postoperative recovery, pain management, and functional mobility. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of the lateral approach in total hip replacement, comparing its efficacy and safety with other surgical techniques. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single medical teaching institution, involving 74 patients who underwent total hip replacement using the lateral approach between January 2022 and December 2023. Data were collected on patient demographics, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes. Key measures included the Harris Hip Score (HHS), rates of postoperative pain, limb length discrepancy (LLD), and complications such as dislocation and infection. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25, with a significance threshold set at P < 0.05. Results: The study population had an equal distribution of male and female patients, with an average age of 57.20 years (SD ± 14.68). Trauma was the most common indication for surgery (67.6%), followed by osteoarthritis (18.9%) and avascular necrosis (9.5%). Postoperative evaluation showed that 62.26% of patients achieved an 'excellent' HHS at two weeks, while 28.38% were rated as 'good'. The overall complication rate was low, with dislocation occurring in 4.1% of cases. Pain was reported in 12.2% of patients post-surgery. Conclusion: The lateral approach for total hip arthroplasty provides effective pain relief and functional recovery with a low complication rate. This study supports the continued use of the lateral approach as a viable option for hip replacement surgery, showing comparable or superior outcomes to other surgical approaches.
Rehman et al. (Mon,) studied this question.