Skip to main content
OrthoExam Prep
DashboardTopicsMCQ PracticeISAWEOp SurgMock Exams
68%Mastery

© 2025 Ortho Exam Prep. For educational purposes only.

Not affiliated with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Back to Operative Surgery
hip•opsurg-thr

Total Hip Joint Replacement and Variants

intermediate Level

Primary Indication

Osteoarthritis (primary and secondary); Rheumatoid arthritis; AVN of femoral head; Non-union of fractured NOF; DDH; Tumour of proximal femur and/or acetabulum

Danger Structures

  • Sciatic nerve - 15-30mm posterior to hip joint depending on approach and position, injury causes foot drop and sensory loss - EXAM KEY: identify and protect, keep hip flexed to relax nerve
  • Femoral neurovascular bundle - 30-50mm medial to anterior hip joint, injury catastrophic - EXAM KEY: stay on bone with anterior retractors
  • Superior gluteal neurovascular bundle - 30-50mm proximal to greater trochanter, injury causes abductor weakness - EXAM KEY: avoid proximal dissection, stay in safe zone
  • Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve - variable position 20-50mm from anterior incisions, injury causes meralgia paresthetica - EXAM KEY: protect when visible
  • Medial femoral circumflex artery - main blood supply to femoral head, at risk during capsulotomy - EXAM KEY: careful dissection around posterior femoral neck

Visual Atlas

No anatomy Images Yet

We're currently sourcing high-quality anatomy diagrams for this procedure.