A 70-year-old woman undergoes primary total hip replacement via the posterior approach. During closure the surgeon performs a capsular repair. Which factor is the single most important modifiable risk factor for early dislocation in the posterior approach?

• A Use of a 22 mm femoral head instead of a 32 mm head
• B Combined anteversion of the acetabular and femoral components within the safe zone
• C Posterior capsular and short external rotator repair ✓
• D Use of a highly cross-linked polyethylene liner

Explanation

After posterior approach THR, repair of the posterior capsule and short external rotators is the single most important surgical step to reduce early dislocation risk, reducing the rate to under 2 per cent. Head size and component position matter, but soft tissue repair is the key modifiable intraoperative factor emphasized in standard texts.

Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.