Inpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty surgery: a comparison of revision and primary total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract

To describe outcomes of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients who underwent interdisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation, and to compare them with primary THA patients. Descriptive and case-control study. Forty-bed, community-based, freestanding rehabilitation hospital. Thirty-nine revision THA subjects, gender- and age-matched with 39 primary THA controls. Inpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation. FIM instrument, length of stay, hospital charges, and disposition location. The average revision THA patient stayed 10.5 days, improved from an admission FIM score of 89 to a discharge FIM score of 110, and incurred a hospital charge of $10,600. Of the revision THA patients, 98% were discharged home, and orthopedic-related complications were uncommon. No significant differences existed between revision and primary THA patients in any outcome measures. A trend toward higher rehabilitation charges ($12,400 vs $9500, p =.07) was found in revision THA patients who wore a hip orthosis. Otherwise, no differences were found in outcome measures based on the type of revision surgery, the presence of weight-bearing restrictions, or the presence of orthopedic complications. THA patients selected for inpatient rehabilitation have favorable short-term functional outcomes. The type of THA (primary vs revision) is not an independent differentiating factor.