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Anterior vs. Lateral Approach in Hip Fracture Surgery: What's Best for Recovery? 🦴

In this inaugural episode of the AHF Podcast's new series 'Evidence and Impact,' host Joe Schwab delves into a recent award-winning paper by Woolnough and colleagues on the effectiveness of the anterior approach in hip arthroplasty for recovery. 📊 The study, titled 'The Anterior Approach Does Not Improve Recovery after Hemiarthroplasty for Hip Fractures,' was published in the Journal of Arthroplasty in 2025. The trial involves a comprehensive comparison between anterior and lateral surgical approaches, focusing on elderly hip fracture patients. 🏥 Joe dissects the methodology, findings, and limitations of the study, questioning whether the anterior approach truly offers a recovery advantage. 🧐 Key takeaways include the feasibility of randomized controlled trials in this demographic, the importance of functional outcomes, and the realization that surgical approach may not be a decisive factor for recovery. 🎓 Join the discussion in the comments and share your thoughts on this fascinating topic! 💬

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For those of you who use Zotero to mange your references, you can access the AHF Podcast Evidence & Impact Zotero group by clicking on the following link:

https://www.zotero.org/groups/6125247/ahfpod_evidenceimpact

Study Paper

Woolnough T, Horton I, Garceau S, Beaulé PE, Feibel RJ, Gofton W, et al. The John Charnley Award: The Anterior Approach Does Not Improve Recovery after Hemiarthroplasty for Femoral Neck Fracture. A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Arthroplasty 2025;40:S17-S24.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2025.04.030.

Additional resources used in preparing this video:

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• Pedersen TJ, Lauritsen JM. Routine functional assessment for hip fracture patients. Acta Orthop 2016;87:374–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17453674.2016.1197534.
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• Winters AM, Hartog LC, Roijen H, Brohet RM, Kamper AM. Relationship between clinical outcomes and Dutch frailty score among elderly patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture. Clin Interv Aging 2018;13:2481–6. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S181497.
• Unnanuntana A, Jarusriwanna A, Nepal S. Validity and responsiveness of Barthel index for measuring functional recovery after hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fracture. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 2018;138:1671–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-018-3020-z.
• Marsault LV, Ryg J, Madsen CF, Holsgaard-Larsen A, Lauritsen J, Schmal H. Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Its Association with Functional Independence, Quality of Life and In-Hospital Course of Recovery in Elderly Patients with Proximal Femur Fractures: A Prospective Cohort Study. Rehabil Res Pract 2020;2020:5907652.