Impact of preoperative function on early postoperative outcome after total hip arthroplasty.

PURPOSE To investigate the impact of preoperative functional status on early postoperative outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS 39 men and 36 women aged 50 to 76 years who underwent cementless THA for osteoarthritis were followed up for at least 2 years. Patients were evaluated pre- and post-operatively (at 6, 12, and 24 months) using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Patients were classified into 3 groups based on their preoperative HHS (poor, <45; intermediate, 45-55; good, >55). Differences between and within groups were compared. RESULTS Patients with a poor preoperative HHS had worse early postoperative outcomes in terms of HHS, SF-36, and WOMAC. Postoperative pain and function correlated with preoperative HHS, but postoperative range of motion and deformity did not. CONCLUSION Poor preoperative function may affect recovery unfavourably and lead to prolonged pain. Earlier THA in the course of functional decline may associate with better outcomes.