Functional improvement after hip and knee arthroplasty: 6-month follow-up with a new functional assessment system

Abstract

Altogether, 271 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee were evaluated pre-and post-operatively using a new functional assessment system for lower-extremity dysfunction, primarily intended as an instrument for physiotherapists. This system consists of 20 variables arranged in five functional groups. The results are used to construct a profile diagram, which is tested for validity, reliability, discriminatory power, sensitivity and specificity. Functional status was recorded pre-operatively and an individual goal profile constructed. The patients were followed up 6 months post-arthroplasty. In 153 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip, there was a drastic and significantly different reduction in their disability; in 118 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, there was a less impressive, but still significantly different, reduction in their disability. A high proportion of patients in both groups achieved their treatment goals. The functional assessment system seemed well suited for such an evaluation and appeared to fulfil the requirements of physiotherapists and physicians alike for a simple, inexpensive and reliable instrument for functional evaluation and follow-up.