Minimally invasive orthopedic surgery: first results in navigated total hip arthroplasty.

Minimally invasive hip approaches decrease soft tissue damage but reduce the view of the operating field. The combination of minimally invasive approaches with navigation techniques can resolve this conflict. A modified anterolateral approach was used for minimally invasive implantation of hip endoprostheses, in combination with a navigation technique. A newly developed femoral clamp was used in the study, which allowed a secure fixation of the navigation reference frame without compromising the visibility of the small incision. The results included short skin incisions and hip joint muscle reservation, with only a moderate increase in operating times.