Modified Supercapsular Percutaneously-Assisted Total Hip (SuperPATH) - Technique and Results
Peer review has expired on this program. It is the viewer’s responsibility to determine the educational value of this historical content.Peer review has expired on this program. It is the viewer’s responsibility to determine the educational value of this historical content.Because of the extensile nature and familiarity of the standard posterior-lateral approach to the hip, a family of micro-posterior approaches has been developed. This family includes the percutaneously-assisted total hip (PATH) approach, the supercapsular (SuperCap) approach, and a newer hybrid approach, the modified supercapsular total hip with percutaneous-assist (supercapsular percutaneously-assisted total hip or SuperPATH). The PATH and SuperCap approaches have had over 9 years of clinical success with published results comparable to those of other minimally-invasive hip approaches. In an effort to streamline these techniques, increase the ease of instruction, and decrease necessary tooling, elements of both techniques have been combined to create the SuperPATH approach. This video portrays this combined superiorly-based minimally-invasive approach that exploits the interval between the piriformis and minimus. A longitudinal incision in the superior capsule is used to prepare the femur in situ. Acetabular preparation is done through this incision and an additional percutaneous portal. Due to the minimally-invasive nature of this micro-superior approach, filming of this procedure has been exceedingly difficult. In conjunction with the Arizona Orthopedic Education Foundation (AOEF), this video was created with endoscopic cameras for additional footage and lighting and special camera angles to fully represent the subtleties of the technique.