Bikini Incision Anterior Approach Total Hip Replacement

Anterior vs. posterior: what actually changes

Traditional hip replacement is often performed through a posterior or lateral approach, which involves detaching and later repairing muscles around the hip. The anterior approach instead accesses the joint through a natural interval between muscles at the front of the hip, without detaching them.

Because the surrounding muscles aren't cut, patients typically face fewer post-operative movement restrictions and a lower reported risk of dislocation — a meaningful advantage for patients who want to return to bending, sitting, and daily activity without the usual hip precautions.

Why "bikini incision" specifically

The standard anterior approach uses a vertical incision. The bikini-style variation instead places a shorter incision along the natural crease at the front of the hip, running parallel to the skin's natural tension lines rather than across them.

Beyond the cosmetic benefit, incisions placed along natural tension lines tend to heal with less scar tension, which some studies have linked to better wound healing outcomes.

A note on candidacy

The bikini anterior approach isn't universally used for every hip replacement. Certain anatomy, prior surgeries, or complex deformities may make a different approach more appropriate. This is a decision made case by case, based on your imaging and hip anatomy — not a one-size-fits-all technique.