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DIFFERENCE IN PATIENT QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER HIP ARTHROPLASTY WITH A MINIMALLY INVASIVE APPROACH OR CLASSIC APPROACH
Mirela Vučković1, Lana Ružić1, Anton Tudor1
11Lovran Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Lovran, Croatia; 2Department of Kinesiologic Anthropology, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; 3Health Center of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Rijeka, Croatia.
Minimally invasive hip replacement surgery leads to better long-term quality of life and less limping compared to the classic approach. This approach significantly improves physical health, energy, social function, pain, and general health outcomes eight years post-surgery.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Quality of Life Research
Background:
- Hip arthroplasty rates are rising, necessitating advancements in surgical techniques and rehabilitation.
- Evaluating long-term outcomes of different hip replacement approaches is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare quality of life and limping incidence 8 years after total hip arthroplasty (THA) using minimally invasive versus classic surgical approaches.
- To identify differences in functional recovery and patient-reported outcomes between THA techniques.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 68 patients (32 classic, 36 minimally invasive) who underwent THA in 2011.
- Data collected included anthropometrics, comorbidity history, subjective limping assessment, and the SF-36 questionnaire for quality of life.
Main Results:
- The minimally invasive group reported statistically significant improvements in 5 SF-36 domains: physical health limitations, energy, social functioning, pain, and general health (p<0.05).
- A significantly lower incidence of limping was observed in the minimally invasive group (p=0.032).
Conclusions:
- Minimally invasive hip arthroplasty is associated with superior long-term quality of life and functional recovery compared to the classic approach.
- Reduced limping in the minimally invasive group likely contributes to better overall quality of life outcomes.
