Postoperative 6-month and 1-year evaluation of health-related quality of life in total hip replacement patients.
OBJECTIVE
During the last decade, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been recognized as a principal outcome measure for total hip replacement (THR). However, most THR outcome studies in Taiwan have limited their assessments to the areas of pain relief and physical function. This study examined the effects of THR on quality of life.


METHODS
A longitudinal prospective study design was adopted. A total of 76 THR patients were enrolled. Disease specific (Harris Hip Score) and generic measures (SF-36) were determined before and after surgery. Postoperative evaluations were completed at 6 months and 1 year. Patient characteristics and related medical information were derived from chart data.


RESULTS
Significant improvement was found in HRQOL. This improvement was maintained at both 6-month and 1-year follow-up. Specifically, the mean Harris Hip Score improved from 44.7 to 88.9 at the 6-month postoperative evaluation, and further improved to 91.3 at the 1-year evaluation. In the SF-36, each domain of health status showed a significant improvement at 6-month and 1-year evaluations (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the Harris Hip Score and the SF-36 showed that THR not only relieved physical pain but also enhanced all aspects of quality of life. In addition to pain relief and improved physical function, improvements in role limitations due to physical or emotional problems were also significant. These findings indicate that a general health survey should be combined with a disease-specific scoring system to assess THR outcome.
Chiu
H C
HC
Graduate Institute of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Mau
L W
LW
Hsu
Y C
YC
Chang
J K
JK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life