An assessment of sleep disturbance in patients before and after total hip arthroplasty

Patients with osteoarthritis commonly complain of sleep disturbance that may be due to pain. Osteoarthritic hip pain is commonly alleviated by total hip arthroplasty (THA). Forty-eight patients waiting for THA completed a sleep questionnaire and were monitored using actigraphy and sleep diaries for 4 to 5 nights, 1 month before and 3 months after surgery. For the group as a whole, significant improvements were seen in subjective and objective measures of sleep after THA. In this study, 75% of participants reported that their sleep was never or rarely disturbed by hip pain after surgery. Actigraphy indicated significant reductions in time in bed and activity during sleep, more efficient sleep and less fragmented (restless) sleep. Differences between patients aged < 65 and > or = 65 years were observed. These findings support the hypothesis that relief from the pain of osteoarthritis as a result of THA improves sleep quality. Improvements in sleep contribute to the improved quality of life and day-to-day functioning seen after THA.