The direct anterior approach: Here today, gone tomorrow—Affirms

In recent years there has been a wave of enthusiasm for the DA. Its appeal centers around the possibility of performing a THA “without cutting muscle or tendon.” This allegedly provides the benefit of accelerated recovery, reduced dislocation rate, and absence of postoperative precautions. However, literature shows that the price to the patient can be unacceptably high. This article provides some perspective on this risk and presents a safe alternative (DPtm) that can achieve similar clinical results. The readily extensile DP gives the surgeon who is new to the technique an opportunity to minimize risk associated with the learning curve.