pLLD by different approaches.

BackgroundLeg length discrepancy (LLD) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a clinical entity that deteriorates clinical outcomes and patients’ satisfaction. Few articles have compared LLD after THA by different surgical approaches.MethodsA total of 358 consecutive patients who underwent primary THA between January 2016 and November 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. All 4 surgeons performed THA through both direct anterior approach (DAA) and posterior lateral approach (PLA). The primary outcome measurement was LLD. LLD was measured on post-operative anteroposterior bilateral hip radiograph. The secondary outcomes were acetabular abduction, acetabular anteversion, perceived LLD (pLLD) and HHS at 6 weeks, 1 year and 5 years. Intergroup analyses were performed using the Chi-square test for enumeration data and the independent sample t-test for quantitative data.ResultsThere was no inter-group difference in terms of patients’ demographics. The DAA group had decreased LLD compared to the PLA group (3.0 ± 5.9mm vs. 4.2 ± 4.5mm, p = 0.027). Meanwhile, the DAA group had a smaller acetabular anteversion than the PLA group (12.9 ± 2.9 vs. 18.4 ± 2.9, p ConclusionsDAA results in more accurate leg length equalization, reduced pLLD, and improved short-term outcomes compared with PLA.