Videotape preparation of patients before hip replacement surgery improves mobility after three months

Long-term follow-up investigations of the effect of psychological preparati on on postoperative physical outcome measures have very rarely been done. I n this study a three-month follow-up of a previous investigation of videota pe preparation before hip replacement surgery is reported. 100 patients who previously participated in a randomized controlled study received physical examination and x-ray of the hip joint three months after the operation. T he mobility of the replaced hip joint was recorded as well as ossifications of the joint. Prepared patients showed a significantly higher improvement of internal rot ation, rotational range of motion, and abduction compared to the controls. The effect sizes ranged between 21% and 32% and, thus, were of clinical rel evance. Prepared patients showed less ossifications (15%) than controls (22 %), this difference was not significant. For the first time it could be demonstrated that psychological preparation before surgery can not only improve short-term and psychosocial outcome par ameters, but also long-term physical measures. The reason for this effect r emains to be investigated.