Study: Hip Replacement Improves Quality of Life

In a recent study, researchers assessed patients’ perceived quality of life after total hip arthroplasty using the Short Form-6D (SF-6D), and found that improvements in SF-6D scores were associated with improvements in postoperative functional outcomes.

The SF-6D questionnaire is derived from the SF-36 scoring system, and assigns a numerical value to a patient’s perceived quality of life related to pain, vitality, mental health, social function, physical function, and role limitations.
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Researchers obtained SF-6D values from 188 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty at 7 institutions and were assessed before surgery and at 6 months, 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after surgery. In addition, Lower-Extremity Activity Scale and Harris hip scores were used to assess clinical correlations between SF-6D scores and functional outcomes.

Overall, their findings showed that SF-6D scores improved following the operation and achieved significance at all points. Likewise, the Lower-Extremity Activity Scale improved at all follow-up points after surgery. Improvements in both the Harris hip score and Lower-Extremity Activity Scale significantly positively correlated with the SF-6D scores at all time points.

“SF-6D scores after total hip arthroplasty correlate with functional outcomes and have clinical relevance, as demonstrated by their effect size. Incorporating this straightforward and easy-to-use measurement tool when evaluating patients following total hip arthroplasty will facilitate future cost-utility analyses,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Elmallah RK, Chughati M, Adib F, et al. Determining health-related quality-of-life outcomes using SF-6D following total hip arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2017;99(6):494-498.