Recovery of Lower Extremity Function in the Initial Year Following Periacetabular Osteotomy: A Single Subject Analysis

ABSTRACT

Background

Little is known regarding how lower extremity joint function recovers in the 6 months following periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for activities other than walking.

Purpose

Assess patient-reported outcomes, hip strength, lower extremity joint moments, and moment distributions during sit-to-stand in a female athlete during the one-year period following PAO.

Methods

Patient-reported outcomes (i.e. hip and groin outcome score; HAGOS), hip strength, and lower extremity joint moments and contributions to peak support moment during the sit-to-stand were assessed pre-operatively and at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 13 months following PAO.

Results

HAGOS scores returned to normative ranges, however overall quality of life scores remained low. By 13-month muscle strength recovered to baseline values. Following surgery, peak support and hip extensor moments were higher on the non-surgical limb, but the contributions of hip, knee, and ankle to peak support moment did not change. On the surgical limb, while peak support moments were lower, the hip contributed less, and the knee contributed more. These asymmetric loading patterns gradually normalized over 1 yea-.

Conclusions

Asymmetric loading following PAO should be considered when developing rehabilitation plans following this surgery.

KEYWORDS:

• Support moment distribution
• hip preservation surgery
• rehabilitation
• activities of daily living

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Ellen Kreighbaum Movement Science Laboratory Endowment at Montana State University.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ellen Kreighbaum Movement Science Lab Endowment at Montana State University.