Assessing Preoperative Mobility in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A SAFE T database study.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Assessing pre-operative activity levels in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) is crucial for surgical planning and patient expectation management.
• Self-reported activity levels can be subjective and may not always align with objective functional capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether individuals self-rated as "highly active" before THA exhibit objectively higher pre-operative physical activity levels compared to their less active counterparts.
• To evaluate the correlation between subjective self-assessment of activity and objective functional measures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 483 patients undergoing THA, categorized into "highly active" (241 patients) and not "highly active" (242 patients).
• Comparison of activity levels using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), self-reported activity questionnaires, and the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT).

Main Results:

• "Highly active" patients demonstrated significantly higher WOMAC scores (48.85 vs. 43.79), indicating greater pre-operative physical limitations.
• The "highly active" group performed a greater mean number of activities and achieved a significantly longer mean 6MWT distance (348.14m vs. 274.64m).

Conclusions:

• Subjective self-ratings of high activity correlate positively with objective measures of mobility in THA candidates.
• Objective measures, such as the 6MWT, serve as reliable indicators of a patient's pre-operative activity level, enhancing confidence in their assessment.