According to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, gait analysis may augment clinical scores in predicting a patient’s clinical response to total hip arthroplasty (THA). 

The researchers analyzed data on 124 patients (mean age 61 years) who were evaluated both before and 1 year after THA using quantitative gait analysis and Harris Hip Scores (HHS). They found that 11.3 percent of participants were nonresponders, based on Outcome Measures in Rheumatology/Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) responder criteria. Prior to surgery, the researchers found that range of motion was 26 percent higher for nonresponders than responders, but the peak external rotation moment was 30 percent lower. Preoperative gait and HHS predicted response with a sensitivity of 71.4 percent and a specificity of 99.1 percent. Learn more...