Patients who undergo primary total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty show better clinical outcomes, improved quality of life and increased participation in leisure activities; however, the differences between primary THA and TKA in older patients are unknown.
The aim of the study was to compare the Western Ontario and McMasters University osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores and changes in WOMAC scores, the Medical Outcomes study 12-item short-form version 2 (SF-12) mental and physical health scales, satisfaction and frequency of participation in leisure activities in older osteoarthritis patients with a mean age of 67.9 ± 10.6 years who underwent primary THA and TKA.
Data from 170 THA and 169 TKA patients were collected 1 week preoperatively through self-reporting of WOMAC scores and SF-12. These parameters, level of satisfaction and frequency of participation in leisure activities were collected 1 year postoperatively by self-reporting questionnaires.
The THA group of patients showed better WOMAC scores (P < 0.05), changes in WOMAC scores (P < 0.05), physical component summary (PCS) of SF-12 (P < 0.01) and changes in PCS scores (P < 0.01) compared with the TKA group. In addition, the THA patients showed higher overall satisfaction (91.90% vs. 83.60%), pain relief satisfaction (87.20% vs. 77.40%) and functional improvement satisfaction (90.10% vs. 83.08%) in comparison with the TKA patients. Furthermore, a higher frequency of participation in leisure activities was achieved in THA patients, except for intellectual leisure activities.
These findings suggest that primary THA provides superior clinical outcomes, quality of life, satisfaction, and participation in leisure activities compared with primary TKA in older patients.