Consistency in patient-reported outcomes after total hip replacement.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Total hip replacement (THR) is a common procedure for hip osteoarthritis.
• Assessing long-term patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) is crucial for evaluating THR success.
• Understanding the trajectory of PROMs from pre-surgery to 6 years post-THR is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in total hip replacement (THR) patients 6 years after surgery.
• To analyze the association between preoperative, 1-year, and 6-year outcomes after THR.
• To determine the predictive value of early PROMs on long-term outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register (SHAR).
• Included 15,755 patients with complete follow-up data.
• Employed multivariable linear regression to analyze relationships between preoperative, 1-year, and 6-year PROMs (EQ-5D, visual analogue scales for pain and satisfaction).

Main Results:

• Patient-reported outcomes 6 years after THR were generally satisfactory.
• A slight deterioration in mean PROMs was observed at 6 years compared to 1 year.
• Six-year PROMs strongly resembled 1-year outcomes, with 1-year follow-up being the strongest predictor.

Conclusions:

• Patient-reported outcomes show minimal deterioration 6 years after THR compared to 1 year.
• While 1-year outcomes predict 6-year results, they do not solely explain them.
• The 6-year follow-up provides valuable insights, supporting its continued utility in THR patient management.