The Impact of Early Rehabilitation and the Acceptance of the Disease on the Quality of Life of Patients after Hip Arthroplasty: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: The early introduction of physiotherapy significantly shortens the time required for a patient to regain full mobility after hip arthroplasty. Obtaining the expected result is determined by cooperation with a physiotherapist and the patient’s involvement in the rehabilitation process. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life, life satisfaction, and motor ability of patients after hip arthroplasty. Methods: This study included 147 patients who underwent hip arthroplasty at the Orthopedic and Trauma Department. The research material was collected using questionnaires, and the study used the Barthel Index (BI), Harris Hip Score (HHS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and Quality of Life Assessment Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). In the studied group of patients, the Excia cementless endoprosthesis was primarily used (69.39%), as well as the Metha Short Hip prosthesis (15.65%), AM hip prosthesis (10.20%), and bipolar hip prosthesis (4.76%). Results: The analyzed group of patients included 95 women (64.63%) and 52 men (35.37%); the average age was 67 years. Six weeks after hip arthroplasty, mild disability occurred in 53.74% of the patients, while the remaining 46.26% had no disability, and 95.24% of the patients achieved a high level of acceptance of the disease and quality of life. Conclusions: Early improvement after hip replacement surgery contributes to eliminating the disability of the hip joint in the following areas: pain sensation, functionality, lack of deformation, and range of motion. Each subsequent stage of treatment increased the level of acceptance of the disease in the study group. The applied surgical treatment increased satisfaction with overall health and quality of life.

Keywords

• osteoarthritis of the hip joint
• hip arthroplasty
• rehabilitation
• quality of life