Return to Sport After Short-Stem Total Hip Arthroplasty

Information about sport activity after short-stem total hip arthroplasty (THA) is scarce in the literature. We therefore aimed to evaluate the rate of return to sport after short-stem THA.

We evaluated the sport pattern, rate of return to sport, activity level, extent of sport activity, and subjective rating and sense of well-being in 137 patients (137 hips) after short-stem THA. The minimum follow-up time was 18 months. All results were analyzed according to gender (male and female) and age (≤60, >60-≤70, and >70 years).

Ninety-two percent of all patients practiced sport before surgery, and 91% of the patients returned to sport. Most patients returned to sport within the first 6 months after surgery. There was a decline in the number of sport disciplines from preoperatively to postoperatively, which was from 2.9 to 2.6 (P = 0.025). High-impact activities decreased postoperatively, but most low-impact activities did not change significantly. Eighty percent of all patients were involved in recreational sports.

In this study, we observed an excellent rate of return to sport after short-stem THA. Most patients returned to the same level of sport activity that they had before the onset of restricting symptoms, with the majority of patients having a great sense of well-being during and after sports, and almost no pain in the affected hip.