title: Hydrotherapy after total hip arthroplasty: a follow-up study.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the subjective functional outcome of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients who underwent hydrotherapy (HT) 6 months after discharge. A prospective randomized study was performed on 70 elderly inpatients with recent THA, who completed a rehabilitation program. After randomization, 33 of them were treated in conventional gyms (no-hydrotherapy group=NHTG) and 31 received HT (hydrotherapy group=HTG). Interviews with the Western-Ontario MacMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were performed at admission, at discharge and 6 months later. Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were applied for statistical analysis. Both groups improved. Pain, stiffness and function were all positively affected. Statistical analysis indicated that WOMAC sub-scales were significantly lower for all patients treated with HT. The benefits at discharge still remained after 6 months. We conclude that HT is recommended after THA in a geriatric population.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via della Pisana 235, I-00163 Rome, Italy. salvatore.giaquinto@sanraffaele.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giaquinto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciotola
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dall'armi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Margutti
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome