Hip Abductor Muscle Strength Recovery: A Comparison Between Joint Replacement Surgery and Internal Fixation Surgery

Introduction Proximal femoral fractures are common fractures of the hip that are considered a major healthcare concern globally; these include subtrochanteric, intertrochanteric, and the neck of the femur fractures. Internal fixation surgery and joint replacement surgery are the two most common intervention techniques used to treat these fractures. Consequently, weakness in the hip abductor muscle post-surgery may lead to implant loosening, necessitating revision of the surgery. In light of this, this study aimed to compare hip abductor strength recovery outcomes between joint replacement surgery and internal fixation surgery. Methodology A comparative study was performed over six months at the Department of Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and anticipating potential dropouts, a total of 56 patients were included in the study, and their hip abductor strength was measured using a sphygmomanometer. The patients were classified into two groups: Group A or Group B as per the type of hip surgery. Group A included 29 patients who underwent joint replacement surgeries involving either cemented or uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA). Group B comprised 27 patients who were operated on using either proximal femoral nail (PFN) or dynamic hip screw (DHS). Results The cohort consisted of 36 males and 20 females, with a mean age of 51.71 years. The overall mean value of hip abductor muscle strength at postoperative day (POD) three in the internal fixation group was 65.06 ±5.98, which progressed to 107.51 ±24.76 after six months; in the joint replacement surgery group, it was 70.03 ±12.46 at POD three, which progressed to 113.11 ±21.27 after six months. The age-wise distribution demonstrated that the patients in the age group of 18-50 years demonstrated progressive results: from 65.33 ±4.9 at POD three to 105.95 ±22.71 after six months in the internal fixation group; from 66.82 ±7.72 at POD three to 109.59 ±22.54 after six months in the joint replacement group. Moreover, patients aged above 50 years showed progression from 64.80 ±6.98 at POD three to 103.33 ±27.30 after six months in the internal fixation group, and from 69.58 ±14.75 at POD three to 108.22 ±20.62 after six months in the joint replacement group. Conclusions Our findings revealed that joint replacement surgery resulted in greater improvements in the hip abductor muscle strength compared to internal fixation surgery in the immediate postoperative period and during follow-ups. Additionally, younger patients exhibited better strength-related outcomes in comparison to the elderly population regardless of the type of surgery.