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Published on: September 7, 2022
The wait for total hip replacement in patients with osteoarthritis
Marie-Claire Gaudet1, Debbie Ehrmann Feldman, Michel Rossignol
1Division of Santé communautaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qué., Canada.
Summary
Waiting times for total hip replacement (THR) were not influenced by patient age, sex, or occupation. However, individuals with more severe hip osteoarthritis symptoms received surgery sooner, indicating symptom severity as a prioritization factor.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Health Services Research
- Quality of Life Assessment
Background:
- Understanding patient waiting times for total hip replacement (THR) is crucial for optimizing surgical scheduling and patient outcomes.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the factors influencing delays in THR, particularly concerning patient demographics and symptom severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document and analyze the components of waiting time for total hip replacement (THR).
- To investigate whether waiting times for THR differ based on patient age, sex, occupation, or quality-of-life scores.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed, collecting data from patients 2-4 weeks pre-THR.
- Validated questionnaires (SF-36, WOMAC) assessed quality of life, symptom severity, and collected event dates and demographic information.
- Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank analysis, and Cox regression were used to analyze waiting times and influencing factors.
Main Results:
- The median wait from surgical consultation to the decision to operate was 0 months.
- The median wait from the decision to operate to surgery was 6 months, with no significant differences based on age, sex, or occupation.
- Patients with higher WOMAC scores (indicating more severe symptoms) experienced shorter waiting times for surgery.
Conclusions:
- Waiting times for THR are not significantly associated with patient age, sex, or occupation.
- Symptom severity, as measured by WOMAC scores, appears to be a key factor in prioritizing patients for total hip replacement surgery.