Bed exercises following total hip replacement: 1 year follow-up of a single-blinded randomised controlled trial

This paper presents the results of a study assessing whether bed exercises after primary THR (total hip replacement) improves function or quality of life, during the first post-operative year. Sixty patients undergoing primary THR were randomised to receive either a gait re-education programme and bed exercises (Group A) or a gait re-education programme without bed exercises (Group B) post-operatively. The Iowa Level of Assistance Scale (ILOA) and Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) were assessed at baseline, 3 days, 6 weeks and 1 year post-operatively. There was no statistically significant difference in either ILOA or SF-12 after 1 year between Group A or B. There was no evidence of a subgroup effect by either the surgical approach or prosthesis fixation in either ILOA or SF-12.