Early Recovery Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty Through a Posterior Approach With Modified Postoperative Precautions

Recent data suggest that a modified, more lenient set of precautions after total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed through the posterolateral approach may safely allow more patient movement and exercise in the immediate postoperative period. We hypothesize that 1) patients undergoing THA given modified precautions will demonstrate a fast-track return to functional activity and 2) wrist-based activity trackers will provide valuable information on postoperative activity levels.

We prospectively enrolled patients undergoing THA. Patients were given a wrist-based, commercially available activity tracker to wear 1 week preoperatively and 6 weeks postoperatively. Postoperative hip precautions included only the avoidance of the “leg-shaving” position of combined hip flexion, adduction, and internal rotation. Linear mixed models were used to analyze the change in steps and Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Junior (HOOS)-JR data. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to describe the relationship between average steps and HOOS-JR scores over time.

Eighty-two patients were enrolled. Seventy-four percent returned to work by week 4. Seventy-six percent of left THA patients returned to driving by week 4. At 6 weeks, 23% of survey respondents were taking pain medication and 26% were using assistive devices. Average daily steps were 1098 at week 1, 2491 at week 2, 4130 at week 3, 4850 at week 4, 5712 at week 5, and 6069 at week 6. A significant correlation (R: −0.981) was found between increased weekly steps and improved HOOS-JR scores after THA (P < .001).

Defining expected recovery timelines for patients undergoing THA helps surgeons counsel their patients preoperatively. Our study demonstrates an expected pathway for recovery after THA by using modified precautions that will be more clearly outlined with ongoing clinical data analysis.