Capsulectomy vs Capsulotomy in Total Hip Arthroplasty. Clinical Outcomes and Proprioception Evaluation

Concerning hip arthroplasty surgery, in patients affected by coxarthrosis, there are two different techniques: one is capsulectomy and the second one is capsulotomy with repairing the capsule at the end of the procedure. Both preserving and excising the capsule are accepted methods and the choice whether repairing the capsule or not is up to the surgeon, since studies have not yet demonstrated the superiority of one of the two techniques. Articular capsule has a physiological role in joint stability and proprioception. The presence of proprioceptive nerve endings in hip joint capsule has been observed both in healthy patients and in those affected by coxarthrosis.

If capsulectomy is performed during primary hip arthroplasty, the pseudocapsule that is formed in place of the native capsule will not have any active neurophysiological role in the hip.

For this reason, investigators compare the two surgical techniques with the purpose of highlighting, if existing, the superiority of one technique on the other in terms of better functional recovery and proprioceptive sensibility.