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Responsiveness of the Harris Hip Score and the SF-36: five years after total hip arthroplasty

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Abstract

Purpose

Comparing the responsiveness over time of the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the SF-36 in patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) and assessing variation in the responsiveness of these measures by the number of co-morbidities.

Methods

This prospective study analyzed 335 THA patients treated at two southern Taiwan hospitals from 1997 to 2000. Magnitude of change in HRQoL was compared by generalized estimating equation. Bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapping was used to measure magnitude of change in HHS and SF-36 subscale scores for five different time intervals spanning a 5-year period.

Results

The analytical results indicated that the pain and physical function subscales of the HHS are more responsive than those of the SF-36 for short-term (within 1 year post-surgery) measurements but are less responsive for long-term measurements. At various follow-up intervals, the HHS and the SF-36 significantly differed in ES of changes in pain and physical function subscale scores for patients with one co-morbidity and for patients with two or more co-morbidities.

Conclusion

For long-term evaluation of THA patients, clinicians and health researchers should weight both measures equally and should also consider co-morbidities.

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Acknowledgments

Ms. Shu-Ching Hsueh and Ms. Yu-Ching Shu are appreciated for assisting in the SF-36 survey. This study was supported by the grants from the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC92-2320-B-037-055 and NSC95-2314-B-037-050-MY3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Healthcare Administration, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chun 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Hon-Yi Shi & Herng-Chia Chiu

  2. Chronic Disease Research Group, Hennipen County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Lih-Wen Mau

  3. Department of Orthopaedics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Je-Ken Chang

  4. Department of Orthopaedics, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Jun-Wen Wang

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  1. Hon-Yi Shi
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  2. Lih-Wen Mau
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  5. Herng-Chia Chiu
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Correspondence to Herng-Chia Chiu.

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Shi, HY., Mau, LW., Chang, JK. et al. Responsiveness of the Harris Hip Score and the SF-36: five years after total hip arthroplasty. Qual Life Res 18, 1053–1060 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9512-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9512-0

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