CORRELATION OF MEASURED RANGE OF HIP MOTION FOLLOWING TOTAL HIP-ARTHROPLASTY AND RESPONSES TO A QUESTIONNAIRE

Twenty-eight patients (with 30 primary and 8 revision total hip arthro plasties) completed a standardized questionnaire containing the Wester n Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index and H arris hip score questions prior to an office visit a minimum of I year after surgery. The range of hip motion measured by an orthopaedic sur geon was compared with the responses to questions on stiffness and fun ction as well as with global scores in the WOMAC osteoarthritis index. Patient responses to the questions asking if they could cut their toe nails on the operated side and the Harris hip score question asking if they could put on socks and lie a shoe correlated significantly with postoperative hip motion (P <.005). The WOMAC global pain and stiffnes s scores did not correlate with range of motion. The WOMAC physical fu nction score correlated significantly only with hip flexion (P <.05). Of the WOMAC physical function questions, difficulty bending to pick a n object off the floor (P <.05) and getting on and off the toilet (P < .05) correlated with the sum of the range of motion in all planes and weighted Harris hip score range of motion calculation. These data sugg est that the points allocated in the Harris hip score for range of mot ion can be estimated reasonably accurately from questionnaire or phone response to a series of questions on a standardized questionnaire. Th e question on ability to cut toenails or the Harris hip score question regarding ability to put on socks and lie a shoe correlated with the most individual planes of motion, but several WOMAC physical function questions also correlated with total and weighted range of motion calc ulations.