Direct Anterior Approach Hip Resurfacing by Dr. Kreuzer 2013
The benefits of the Direct Anterior Approach in Hip Resurfacing is avoidance
of detaching major muscle groups from bone, a higher likelihood of maintaining
the blood supply to the remaining femoral neck, less likelihood of dislocation
as the dynamic hip stabilizer (short external rotators) is completely unaffected
(posterior approach releases all the dynamic stabilizer of the hip), and less
likelihood for the patient to experience a limp since the abductor is not
released from the greater trochanter (as in the anterior lateral approach).
The main disadvantages of the DAA is that it is more difficult for the
surgeon and not all patients are candidates for DAA. We do not have long-term
follow-up data on DAA, but in the short term it appears that the DAA has a
shorter recovery phase, a shorter hospital stay, improved component position and
improved early function. Note, while Dr. Kreuzer does not have enough data to
make these claims based upon statistical significance, the data appear to have a
trend in this direction.