title: Can Early Rehabilitation after Total Hip Arthroplasty Reduce Its Major Complications and Medical Expenses? Report from a Nationally Representative Cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether early rehabilitation reduces the occurrence of posttotal hip arthroplasty (THA) complications, adverse events, and medical expenses within one postoperative year.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively retrieve data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients who had undergone THA during the period from 1998 to 2010 were recruited, matched for propensity scores, and divided into 2 groups: early rehabilitation (Early Rehab) and delayed rehabilitation (Delayed Rehab).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight hundred twenty of 999 THA patients given early rehabilitation treatments were matched to 205 of 233 THA patients given delayed rehabilitation treatments. The Delayed Rehab group had significantly (all p < 0.001) higher medical and rehabilitation expenses and more outpatient department (OPD) visits than the Early Rehab group. In addition, the Delayed Rehab group was associated with more prosthetic infection (odds ratio (OR): 3.152; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.211-8.203; p < 0.05) than the Early Rehab group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early rehabilitation can significantly reduce the incidence of prosthetic infection, total rehabilitation expense, total medical expenses, and number of OPD visits within the first year after THA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiung-Jui Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Shu
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-Bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Division of Urogynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Ping
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hing-Man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan ; Department of Recreation and Health-Care Management and Institute of Recreation Industry Management, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan