Methods and tools for hip replacement with superscapsular percutaneously assisted total hip approach

A depth gauge assembly for centering a screw in an acetabular component disposed in an acetabulum in a hip surgical procedure, the depth gauge assembly comprising:

• the acetabular component;
• a cannula;
• and
• a depth gauge disposed in the cannula, the depth gauge having:
• a body having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end having an external surface, the external surface having an external surface geometry equivalent to a rounded shape of a screw head configured to be disposed in a screw hole of the acetabular component, the body being straight and cylindrical, the body having a through-bore having an inner diameter and configured to receive an elongate member, the elongate member having a member leading end and a member trailing end, and
• the trailing end or the member trailing end comprising depth marks, the depth marks configured to indicate and control a depth of insertion of said elongate member.

A surgical procedure for placing a screw in an acetabular component in an acetabulum in a procedure for replacing a hip joint in an operative leg of a patient, the surgical procedure comprising:

• making a main incision on said operative leg, the main incision initiated at a point being a projection of a tip of a greater trochanter and extending proximally about a distance in a range of from 1 cm to 8 cm generally parallel to a femoral axis of the operative leg;
• inserting a trocar and a cannula through a guide to define a location of a portal incision in said operative leg;
• making the portal incision at the location;
• passing the trocar and the cannula through the portal incision until the trocar and the cannula are visible through the main incision;
• performing a step of acetabular preparation;
• impacting the acetabular component into the acetabulum;
• aligning the cannula to the acetabular component through the portal incision;
• inserting a depth gauge into the cannula,
• wherein the depth gauge comprises:
• a body having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end having an external surface, the external surface having an external surface geometry equivalent to a rounded shape of a screw head configured to be disposed in a screw hole of the acetabular component, the body being straight and cylindrical, the body having a through-bore having an inner diameter and configured to receive an elongate member in the through-bore, the elongate member having a member leading end and a member trailing end, and wherein the trailing end or the member trailing end comprises depth marks, the depth marks configured to indicate and control a depth of insertion of said elongate member;
• seating the member leading end of the depth gauge in the screw hole of the acetabular component;
• and
• drilling the member leading end through the screw hole of the acetabular component and into said acetabulum to thereby form a pilot hole for the screw, the step of drilling including using the depth marks on the trailing end or the member trailing end of the depth gauge to control the depth of insertion of the member leading end.