Physical Capacity Among Patients Treated With Periacetabular Osteotomy for Hip Dysplasia: a Cross-sectional Study

Hip dysplasia is a common disease both worldwide and among the Danish population. The disease is characterized by a shallow and oblique acetabulum, resulting in insufficient coverage of the femoral head. The abnormalities of the dysplastic hip joint lead to altered biomechanical adaptations, highly affecting the physical capacity of patients. Studies have shown that patients with hip dysplasia experience reduced muscle strength and gait abnormalities, when compared to healthy controls.

Each year, approximately 200 Danes with hip dysplasia are treated with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). As the preferable joint-preserving surgical treatment for younger patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia, the PAO reduces prevalence of muscle-tendon-related pain and improves hip and groin related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). By extension, studies report a hip survival rate of approximately 75% 12 years following PAO.

However, little is known about objective measures of physical capacity following PAO. Despite reducing muscle-tendon-related pain and improving PROMs, gait adaptations still remain and studies report no improvements in muscle strength, nor in the physical activity profile, 1 year following treatment with PAO. Thus, the field calls for research aiming to identify parameters of impaired physical capacity in patients treated with PAO. Thorough knowledge of physical capacity in these patients may contribute to the establishment of a science-based rehabilitation strategy, potentially improving physical activity, function, work capacity and quality of life.

The primary aim of this study is to analyse and identify parameters of impaired physical capacity in patients with hip dysplasia 1-5 years following treatment with PAO. Gait function, defined as peak hip extension angle and peak hip flexor moment, is chosen as the primary outcome, due to previously shown correlations between the extent of gait impairments and the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS).

As recommended by the International Hip-related Pain Research Network (IHiPRN), measurements of physical capacity in patients with hip-related pain should include: clinical measures, laboratory-based measures, measures of physical activity and return to physical activity. Secondary outcomes of this study are: muscle activity during level walking and walking with inclination, endurance and pain during walking, range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, hip and muscle-tendon-related pain, radiographic measures and PROMs (present level of physical activity and sports & activity level prior to and after treatment with PAO).