SHALL IT BE BETTER, AS AN APPROACH FOR THR, POSTERIORLY OR LATERALLY; A CLINICO-FUNCTIONAL AND GAIT ANALYTICAL OUTCOME ANALYSIS, IN A PROSPECTIVE STUDY, IN THE SOUTH-INDIAN POPULATION.

Introduction: Hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) or Total hip replacement (THR), as it is popularly called, attempts to mollify these basic clinical problems, in patients with a hip arthritic problem, which may be of a sequela to age-related degeneration, osteonecrosis, systemic disorder like Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or Ankylosing spondylosis (AS) or as a result of trauma and or an old infection. The basic pathology, is an unfavourable and abrading hip diarthrodial joint. The endeavour of the study was, to establish the efcacy of the Posterior vs Lateral approach for THA/THR, by studying their outcomes in primary THR. This prospective study was undertaken at Che Materials And Methods: ttinad Hospital and Research Institute (CARE), Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu district, Tamilnadu, In the Department of Orthopaedics from Jan 2017 to Dec 2020 (48 months). The Functional outcome of hip surgery was measured using the Harris Hip Score, Oxford hip score and the WOMAC. Rivermead visual gait analysis (RVGA) method was used post-operatively to assess the gait. The Biomechanical outcomes of Abductor Gait Component, were individually assessed by EMG studies. The Harris Hip Score, The Oxford Hip S Results: core and WOMAC score, when the lateral approach was compared to the posterior approach pre-op and post-op in the 12 months minimum follow-up period, the laterally approached group faired better. The VAS score was equivocal. The comprehensive RVGA assessment also showed marginally better results for the laterally approached group as was the case with the Trendelenburg test score. The EMG studies for the Gluteus Maximus, Medius and the lateral rotators of hip also favoured the outcomes for the laterally approach hips. The supremacy of the Lateral Approach, ove Conclusion: r Posterior Approach, cannot be adjudged in a short-term follow-up study. It is thus opined that the Lateral Approach may be statistically and data wise superior, but the patient satisfaction, which is a major factor, is almost the same in both the approach groups. The follow-up needs to be atleast for a decade for us to be able to come to any meaningful conclusion. With regards to surgery like the Total hip replacement, which have a longevity factor exceeding 10 years, studies have to be followed up for periods in excess of 10 years.