SuperPATH—Current Status of Evidence and Further Investigations: A Scoping Review and Quality Assessment

Abstract

Background: SuperPATH is a novel minimally invasive technique for hip replacement that is gaining increasing attention. The aim of this review was to determine the nature, extent, and quality of current research evidence on SuperPATH and to identify areas for further investigations. Methods: A bibliometric search was conducted in PubMed up to 1 August 2023 using the search term “SuperPATH”. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed for relevant articles. Results: The bibliometric search yielded 51 articles on SuperPATH, 9 of which were meta-analyses, 11 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 4 were prospective non-RCTs, 12 were retrospective comparative studies, 11 were case series, and 4 were other article types. Most articles were published between 2015 and 2023, with a steady increase in publications per year. The articles originated from 13 countries, of which China was the most productive (35%). The quality assessment of the meta-analyses showed that 22.2% were of moderate quality, 66.7% were of low quality, and 11.1% were of critically low quality. The quality assessment of the RCTs showed that 36.4% had a low risk of bias (RoB), 27.2% revealed some concerns, and 36.4% had a high RoB. All studies were evaluated for content and taken into account in the formulation of recommendations and conclusions. Conclusions: The SuperPATH evidence varies from low to high quality. There is a steady increase in SuperPATH publications in the English-language literature and an uneven distribution of the article origins, with most articles coming from China. Consistent terminology should be used in the future, referring to the surgical approach as the direct superior approach (DSA) and to the surgical technique as SuperPATH. This review provides further concrete suggestions for future investigations and recommendations to improve study quality.