Does Low Back Pain Improve Following Total Hip Arthroplasty?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spine Surgery
• Pain Management

Background:

• Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) frequently experience co-existing low back pain (LBP) and hip pain.
• Understanding factors influencing LBP resolution post-THA is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare outcomes of LBP resolution in patients after THA.
• To identify predictive spinopelvic parameters for LBP resolution post-THA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 500 patients undergoing THA for hip osteoarthritis.
• Pre-operative biplanar standing and sitting EOS radiographs were analyzed.
• Spinopelvic parameters, including pelvic incidence and sacral slope change, were assessed.

Main Results:

• 41% of patients had pre-operative LBP; 82.4% experienced LBP resolution at 1-year post-THA.
• Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores significantly improved post-operatively.
• A sacral slope change >10° from standing to sitting predicted LBP resolution, while <10° indicated persistence.

Conclusions:

• Symptomatic LBP is resolved in a high percentage of patients following THA.
• Sacral slope change is a potential predictor for LBP resolution after total hip replacement, aiding patient counseling.