Objective: To identify an assessment tool and its cut-off point for indicating ambulatory status 6 months after total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Kyoto University Hospital.
Participants: Eighty-eight patients who underwent unilateral THA.
Main outcome measure: Lower-extremity muscle strength, hip range of motion and hip pain were measured 6 months after THA. The patients were divided into two groups according to their ability to walk 6 months after THA: an independent ambulation group and a cane-assisted ambulation group.
Results: A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age and lower-extremity maximal load were significant variables affecting mid-term ambulatory status following THA. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that ambulatory status following THA was indicated more accurately by leg extension strength (cut-off point=8.24N/kg, sensitivity=92%, specificity=82%, area under the curve=0.93) than age.
Conclusion: Lower-limb load force with a cut-off point of 8.24N/kg is a reliable assessment tool for indicating ambulatory status 6 months after primary THA.
Keywords: Gait ability; Lower limb load; Total hip arthroplasty.
Copyright © 2013 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.