Objective To investigate the anatomic structure of the Chinese people,develop the procedure of minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty through the anterolateral intermuscular approach and investigate its clinical outcome.Methods Three fresh adult cadavers(6 hips)were used for study of the anatomic construction of the anterolateral intermuscular approach in Chinese people.Sixteen patients were treated with minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty through anterolateral intermuscular approach.The clinical results and operation technique were recorded.Results The anterolateral intermuscular approach was a triangle muscular interval slightly parallel to the femur.The medial-superior angle of the triangle muscular interval consists of the anterior border of gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata muscle with juncture of muscles,where the inferior branch of superior gluteal nerve entered into tensor fascia lata muscle.The average incision length was 8.8 cm(7-10 cm),with mean blood loss of 350 ml(250-550 ml).The patients took out-of-bed activity 3-5 days after operations.During operations,anterior border injury in deep portion of the gluteus medius muscle was observed in seven patients and the injured muscles were trimed or repaired.All patients were followed up for 18-39 months(averaged 27.7 months).Most of the patients had excellent location of the phantoms,except that one acetabulum had a little pitch angle and two acetabulums had a little abduction angle.No complication was observed.The mean Harris scores of hip for all patients was increased from preoperative(39.1±6.7)points to(80.6±11.3)points on six month,(88.7±9.6)points on 12 month and(91.4±13.5)points on 24 months(11 patients).No patient suffered from gluteus medius muscle weakness during the follow-up.ConclusionAnterolateral intermuscular approach has the advantages of simple anatomic construction,small incision,little operative injury,muscle sparing and fast recovery without separate muscle or tendon and is suitable for the Chinese patients.Exact incision and special operative instruments should be emphasized to avoid the increase of acetabular pitch angle and abduction angle.