EFFECT OF PREOPERATIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON POSTOPERATIVE OUTCOME IN PATIENTS WITH TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT - A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY.

Hip osteoarthritis is the leading cause of hip pain around the world. Patients are aiming to relieve pain as fast as possible and return to everyday activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of preoperative physical education on postoperative rehabilitation in patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA). There were 60 patients divided in two equal groups. One group underwent 3-day preoperative education and the other did not. The two groups were compared according to their preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM), Harris Hip Score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Patient general characteristics were similar in the two groups. Patients that received preoperative training had lower VAS scores, greater ROM, higher HHS and lower WOMAC score on postoperative day 42 (p<0.05 all). These patients had no complications. There were no between-group differences in the SF-36 questionnaire. In conclusion, patients that underwent preoperative rehabilitation protocol before THA had lower pain and disability scores and better functional outcomes.