Men and women fare differently after hip replacement surgery, highlights new research

Published November 21, 2016

Levels of pain and function, and range of motion and strength seem to differ between men and women after joint replacement surgery and it’s all because of biomechanics. The finding, reported at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, could lead to the development of sex-specific rehabilitation programmes.“Over the last five to 10 years, an increasing number of studies have suggested that women are at risk for poorer outcomes from total hip and knee replacement,” explains senior author Dr Kharma C. Foucher.

So the US team investigated if biomechanical differences between men and women could impact on why men and women have different outcomes after hip replacement surgery. They studied 124 people before and one year after total hip arthroplasty. Average age was 61 years and about half were women.

Results

The biomechanical factors associated with pain and function improvements were different in men and women. For example, women who reported better functional recovery (ability to walk without a limp or put on socks and shoes with ease) had more abductor strength improvement and better abductor function during walking.

Implications

Tailoring rehabilitation to each sex might help people have better outcomes after surgery

“We found that pre- to post-op changes in pain and function have different impact on abductor strength and gait mechanics in men and women,” says Dr Foucher. “This is a hint that perhaps rehabilitation priorities should be different in men and women. It is possible that more focus on hip abductor strengthening will improve function in women, but may not be as critical in men.”

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