Bony Path Assisted Suturing and Tendon-to-Tendon Suturing Technique for External Rotator Repair After Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized-Controlled Trial.

Study Summary

178patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) for unilateral hip disease were randomized to receive tendon-to-bone external rotator repair or tendon-to-tendon external rotator repair. The outcomes of interest were postoperative Hip Harris Score (HHS), joint dislocation rate, and hip external rotation range, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, operative time, blood loss, incision length, and postoperative complications. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Overall, the results of the study revealed that tendon-to-bone repair produced superior early hip function, greater external rotation, and significantly fewer postoperative dislocations than tendon-to-tendon repair, while operative time, blood loss, incision length, pain, and complications were comparable. These findings suggest that tendon-to-bone repair offers a more stable and effective method for external rotator reconstruction following THA.