Understanding Iliotibial Band-Sparing Total Hip Arthroplasty: Alternatives to Traditional THA Approaches

Excellent long term results in total hip arthroplasty (THA are achievable through a variety of surgical techniques. However, the push for cost savings and higher patient expectations has shifted the focus to improving short term outcomes such as length of stay and in-hospital narcotic requirements. While approximately 87% of surgeons worldwide continue to prefer traditional posterolateral (PL) or lateral approaches for arthroplasty,1alternative approaches that spare the iliotibial band have emerged over the last several years in hopes of improved outcomes. This review explores the iliotibial band-sparing approaches, their advantages and disadvantages, and provides an overview of their published results.