The use and safety of an adhesive pannus retractor for direct anterior total hip arthroplasty: A prospective case series

Background: Large abdominal pannuses make surgical exposure for Direct Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty (DA THA) challenging due to their size and weight. Medical tapes have been used for pannus retraction but frequently cause Medical Adhesive Related Skin Injuries (MARSI). Specialized adhesive pannus retractors may lessen MARSIs but are not well studied in DA THA. Methods: In this case series, fifty DA THA patients who received the adhesive pannus retractor were prospectively enrolled and evaluated. The primary outcomes were the incidence, type, and severity of MARSIs observed. Descriptive statistics were used to assess primary outcomes in addition to categorical demographic variables. Results: Of the 50 consecutively enrolled patients who received the pannus retractor, 8% (95% CI: 3.2 to 18.8 percent) of these patients were found to have a MARSI after its removal. Among the four MARSIs observed, each was characterized as erythema and three were mild while one was moderate in severity. The product was highly effective in providing adequate tissue retraction and surgical exposure. Conclusions: The adhesive pannus retractor was found to yield a relatively low incidence of MARSI. Further investigations should directly compare this product to other commonly used taping methods or other variables that are desirable for successful DA THA.