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Different incisions are made depending on the area to be treated. The approach can be made either from the front (anterior), from the back (posterior), or both.
Review Date 11/16/2025
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Peter and Sophie Pappas Endowed Chair, V-nee Yeh Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.