Joseph T Moskal, John A Scanelli and Susan G Capps
A telephone questionnaire was utilized to assess whether patients who underwent staged bilateral total hip replacement using the direct anterior approach for one hip replacement, and a different surgical approach for the other, could detect a difference in their post-operative recovery. When comparing patients who preferred the results of one hip replacement over another, the DAA was associated with more patient satisfaction, a quicker recovery, less pain, better function, and better fulfillment of pre-operative expectations, while there was no difference in hip strength between groups. These results suggest randomized controlled trials are worth pursuing to determine if a clinically meaningful difference exists between the direct anterior approach and other surgical approaches.