Arthroplasty Rehabilitation Score - Can we Predict the Short Term Postoperative Outcome?

Total joint arthroplasty are common operations among the elderly population. The postoperative patients' rehabilitation process may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as age, BMI, perioperative hemoglobin levels, pain perception, comorbidities, etc. Nevertheless, only a few well controlled studies evaluated the effect of various factors on patients' rehabilitation short-term outcome. Furthermore, no scale has been developed, that can predict patients' rehabilitation and functioning levels 6 weeks postoperatively. In the current study we wish to evaluate the effect on patients' function that the following factors have: age, BMI, admission and discharge hemoglobin levels, pain perception, type of operation (TKA versus THA), intensity of postoperative physiotherapy, involvement of other joints by the primary pathology, comorbidities, and self assessed health status.

In order to quantify patients' level of functioning, several tests will be used: hand grip strength, Timed up and go test (TUG) and Oxford knee and hip score. The factors that will be found statistically significantly associated with level of functioning, will be used in an attempt to develop a scale that will predict the level of functioning 6 weeks postoperatively.

Such a scale can allow preoperative identification of patients at high risk of postoperative low functioning levels and the application of a unique rehabilitation program, for only these patients, in order to optimize their functioning.