Pelvic Stability During Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Comparison of Traction and Standard Surgical Tables Using Augmented Reality Navigation

BackgroundTotal hip arthroplasty enhances quality of life by improving joint function. However, the success of this procedure heavily relies on precise acetabular cup positioning, which is insufficient using traditional placement guidelines. This insufficiency is evidenced by the persistent occurrence of dislocations, highlighting the critical need for enhanced pelvic alignment accuracy. Standard surgical tables present challenges in maintaining consistent pelvic positioning during the procedure, making it difficult to achieve optimal alignment. PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a traction surgical table in stabilizing pelvic movements during total hip arthroplasty and compare it with the use of a standard surgical table. MethodsThis retrospective study assessed 88 total hip arthroplasties performed using the AR-HIP (Zimmer Biomet Japan, Tokyo, Japan) system for real-time pelvic navigation. Procedures were performed using either a standard surgical table (n=48) or a traction surgical table (n=40). Pelvic alignment was monitored at multiple surgical stages, and stability was statistically analyzed to compare the efficacy of the two table types. ResultsThe traction table significantly stabilized anteroposterior pelvic movements across all critical surgical stages (p<0.05), except during anterior capsular release. In contrast, procedures performed on the standard table exhibited less stability in anteroposterior pelvic movements, suggesting the superior performance of the traction table. ConclusionsCompared with the standard table, the use of the traction table in total hip arthroplasty effectively controls anteroposterior pelvic movements and improves acetabular cup alignment. However, lateral pelvic stability remains uncontrolled using both table types, indicating a need for further technological advancements in surgical practice to improve the outcomes of total hip arthroplasty.