Poor Outcomes from Surgery Related to Poor Movement

Released: July 11, 2017

Columbus, Ohio - Research examining joint movement after hip surgery indicates that while surgery can improve function, it does not optimize recovery in all patients.

In a study conducted at The Ohio State University, early results indicate that poor hip function and abnormal movement hinder the recovery process after surgery.

Lead researcher on the study Stephanie Di Stasi, PhD, PT, is using 3-D motion analysis data to identify movement patterns associated with poor function and premature joint osteoarthritis. Hip joint movement and loading patterns, patient-reported function and changes on magnetic resonance imaging were compared across several time points in over 25 patients an average of two years after surgery.

Despite surgery, some patients continued to report limited daily function and demonstrate poor movement. The high-resolution data helped identify small but meaningful changes in movement patterns that showed surgery is not an effective tool for fixing poor movement.

“Many patients get better, but we found that certain groups of patients do not do well, and it may be because they don’t move normally,” noted Di Stasi.

With funding from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at Ohio State through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Di Stasi has been able to study these patients in order to determine how practitioners can optimize surgical outcomes.

“The CCTS has been the critical factor in my ability to submit competitive federal funding applications and network with other researchers around the country to develop impactful multicenter collaborations,” said Di Stasi.

Di Stasi and her team have also identified signs of joint disease progression in approximately one-third of the study group. As the study ends this fall, the team will be comparing the patients’ hip images from before and after surgery to examine how abnormal movement patterns may also be associated with changes in cartilage health over time.

Physical therapy can make a significant positive impact on the recovery process, and Di Stasi believes surgeons and physical therapists can work effectively together to optimize outcomes. “We will use this information to develop and then test different movement-focused interventions so that all patients with hip pain can achieve the best possible treatment outcome,” concluded Di Stasi.

The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program (UL1TR001070, KL2TR001068, TL1TR001069) The CTSA program is led by the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).