Perceived skills for sports performance after primary hip arthroplasty: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose Recommendations arising from existing literature regarding restrictions and benefits of sporting activities after joint replacement surgery vary widely. As hip arthroplasty patients are becoming increasingly active, their expectations about postoperative function are constantly evolving. The aim of this study is to identify the perception of patients regarding their performance in sports activities after hip arthroplasty. Methods This cross-sectional study included all patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty, for any diagnosis, between January 2009 and January 2016. By applying a telephone survey, practice of sports before surgery, resumption after surgery, level of performance, and causes of non-resumption of sports activities were assessed. Results Data of 531 patients were obtained. Of these, 13% were engaged in sports before surgery. The most frequently practiced sports were golf (27.5%) and tennis (22%). Of the 72 patients that practiced sports, only 44.4% (30 patients) returned to this activity after surgery. Nonetheless, 71% of these patients reported to have an equal or better athletic performance than before surgery. The main causes reported by patients not to return to sports were the fear of injury and recommendation of the surgeon. Conclusions A significant number of patients return to sports after hip arthroplasty and most of them perceive a good athletic performance after surgery. These findings should enrich the pre-operative assessment of patient's expectations, particularly for those who wish to resume physical activity.

Amount and type of physical activity and sports from one year forward after hip or knee arthroplasty—A systematic review

“…Sports participation was reported in eleven articles: in nine participation rates varied between 64% to 91% and two articles reported lower percentages [ 29 , 37 , 47 , 57 , 83 , 93 , 94 , 110 , 125 , 126 , 136 ]. Hara et al [ 47 ] reported that 30.5% participated in sports, while Madrid et al [ 83 ] reported 7.1% institutionalized sport participation. Six of the articles reporting on sports participation did not define sports participation in terms of frequency and intensity.…”

“…Three other articles [ 29 , 37 , 125 ] required regular sports participation for study inclusion, while Hara et al [ 47 ] had a once-a-month inclusion requirement. Madrid et al [ 83 ] did have an inclusion requirement to participate in institutionalized sports but did not elaborate further on frequency of participation. Participation in sports was largely recreational, with Ortmaier et al [ 94 ] reporting that more than 80% of the sports were performed recreationally and Bonnin et al [ 29 ] reporting that only 2.6% participated in competitive sports.…”

“…Mean time spent playing sports was only reported by Donner et al [ 37 ], at 4.2 hours/week divided over 3.4 ± 2.9 times/week. Using questionnaires, two articles reported on time spent playing sports [ 18 , 83 ]: Madrid et al [ 83 ] reported 42% subjects playing <5 hours/week. Smith et al [ 18 ] reported 2–4 hours/week for 67% of subjects participating in low-intensity sports, >2 hours/week for most subjects (78.7%) performing moderate-intensity sports, and <2 hours/week for 84.2% of subjects performing high-intensity sports.…”

“…Type of sport was reported in twelve articles [ 29 , 37 , 47 , 57 , 83 , 93 , 94 , 103 , 106 , 110 , 125 , 136 ]. Low-impact sports were commonly performed, with cycling, fitness, golf, gymnastics, swimming and walking reported the most.…”

Golfers have a greater improvement in their hip specific function compared to non-golfers after total hip arthroplasty, but less than three-quarters returned to golf

“…Previous rates of returning to golf after THA have been higher in the literature, ranging from 87% to 95%. 26 , 27 Despite a high percentage of golfers reporting golf as a primary motivator for undergoing surgery, satisfaction rates were not different between the golf and non-golf cohorts. The motivation for returning to golf after hip arthroplasty has not previously been explored.…”