Effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis

Description: Effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a systematic review of clinical trials.
Results 8 trials were identified. Trial quality was mixed. Generally poor trial quality, quantity and diversity prevented explanatory meta-analyses. The results were synthesised and meta-analytic summaries were used where possible to provide a formal summary of results. Results indicate that physiotherapy exercise after discharge following total hip replacement has the potential to benefit patients.
Conclusions Insufficient evidence exists to establish the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following primary hip replacement for osteoarthritis. Further well designed trials are required to determine the value of post discharge exercise following this increasingly common surgical procedure.
Catherine J Minns Lowe , Karen L Barker , Michael E Dewey and Catherine M Sackley BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2009, 10:98 Full text