What are the three major types of hip replacement surgery?

The three main surgical approaches for hip replacement surgery are:

1. Posterior approach: This traditional surgical approach involves making an incision at the back of the hip. This approach allows the surgeon to easily access the hip joint, and it is often used for total hip replacement surgery, the procedure where the entire hip joint is replaced. However, this may cause problems with the piriformis muscle.

2. Anterior approach: This approach involves making an incision at the front of the hip. It does not directly go through any muscles thereby causing less muscle damage and less pain after the surgery. This approach also preserves the gluteal tendons, the strong group of muscles that help move the hip and provide stability to the joint. Due to these, this approach is commonly used for partial hip replacement, the procedure where only the damaged parts of the hip joint are replaced.

3. Lateral approach: This approach involves making an incision on the outside of the hip, near the greater trochanter. It allows for direct visualization of the hip joint and is used in total hip replacement as well.

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