Preoperative Osteoporosis Is Associated With Increased Health Care Utilization and Compromised Pain and Function Improvement After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Analysis

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) has been linked to complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA), but its impact on health care utilization and patient-reported outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between: 1) pre-THA OP and health care utilization as well as patient-reported pain and function outcome measures; and 2) dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan-based T-scores and the aforementioned outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of primary THA (2015 to 2018) was performed (n = 5,321) from a validated academic institutional database of a large North American tertiary health care system; of which 4,074 (76.6%) completed 1-year follow-up. Outcomes included prolonged length of stay [LOS] > three days, discharge disposition, 90-day readmission, and 1-year reoperation, as well as Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS]) Pain, HOOS-function (PS), and minimal clinically important difference thresholds (MCID), and satisfaction.

Results: The prevalence of OP pre-THA was 56.9%, of which 39.8% were not prescribed OP medications and 15.3% had a DEXA scan. Compared to those who did not have OP, those who had OP were independently associated with higher odds of prolonged LOS, nonhome discharge, 90-day readmission, and 1-year reoperation (P < 0.005). Furthermore, they had significantly higher odds of failing to achieve MCID (odds ratio: 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.06 to 1.89)) for HOOS-PS and satisfaction (odds ratio: 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.16 to 1.93)) at one year. Higher T-scores were associated with lower odds of prolonged LOS, nonhome discharge, failure to achieve MCID in HOOS-Pain, and HOOS-PS.

Conclusions: Over half of patients had OP; however, only 15.3% of patients had a DEXA scan before THA. Patients who had OP were at higher risk of prolonged LOS, nonhome discharge, 90-day readmission, and 1-year reoperation in addition to poor pain/function improvement and dissatisfaction one year after THA.