"Navi-superpath": the Superpath hip Approach for hip Arthritis combined with a Portable Mini-navigation system. A Novel Technique

AbstractThe SuperPath approach was first performed in 2007 at the U.S.A. Combination of the SuperPath with navigation systems was till recently impossible. For the first time we managed to combine the SuperPath approach with a portable digital navigation system. The SuperPath is one of the approaches used to perform a Total Hip Arthroplasty in cases of primary or secondary Hip Arthritisand is considered as one of the best minimally invasive procedures. It has a lot of advantages (the hip is never surgically dislocated, no ten-don is cut during the procedure, no need for postsurgery restrictions etc.) but a major difficulty –which requires a lot of attention by the surgeon- as well: the acetabular cup orientation/anteversion is affected by the femur’s position during the procedure. Thus, the combined used of the SuperPath and the portable navigation system may eliminate the possibility of malposition of the acetabular cup. Thus, the acetabular cup is fixed at the optimal anteversion/inclination position which is measured in real time resulting in an optimal fixation of the Total Hip Arthroplasty. This way the Total Hip Arthroplasty can last longer and the major complication of this procedure –hip dislocation postsurgically- may be diminished