Postoperative Hip Precautions After Total Hip Arthroplasty Via the Posterior Approach: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Are Postoperative Hip Precautions Necessary After a Total Hip Arthroplasty Via the Posterior Approach: A Prospective Randomized Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine if hip precautions, which are instructions that limit functional use of a hip replacement after surgery, affect the rate of dislocation in the first six weeks after primary total hip replacement surgery. The impact of hip precautions on a patient's return to activities of daily living and overall patient satisfaction will also be investigated. The overall cost effectiveness of hip precautions will be determined.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Osteoarthritis; Degenerative Joint Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No Hip Precautions; Other: Hip Precautions

Detailed Description

This study examines the necessity of postoperative hip precautions in patients after primary total hip arthroplasty via the posterior approach. Precautions are instructions that limit the functional use of the hip and are given for the first six weeks after surgery, with the goal of preventing an instability event resulting in dislocation. The hip precautions that will be investigated in this study are: no hip flexion past 90º, no crossing the legs, and no twisting at the waist.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1133
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
      • Rush University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing a primary total hip arthroplasty via the posterior approach by participating attending surgeons at this institution
• Index diagnosis of noninflammatory arthritis
• Patients must be able to understand and comply with study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

• Allergy or intolerance to the study materials
• History of previous surgeries on the affected joint other than arthroscopy; i.e. revision THA or open surgeries

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: No Hip Precautions; Patients will not be prescribed hip precautions in the first 6 weeks after surgery. The hip precautions that will no longer be prescribed are: no hip flexion past 90º, no crossing the legs, and no twisting at the waist.	Other: No Hip Precautions; Patients will not be prescribed hip precautions in the first 6 weeks after surgery. The hip precautions that will no longer be prescribed are: no hip flexion past 90º, no crossing the legs, and no twisting at the waist.
Active Comparator: Hip Precautions; Patients will receive the following hip precautions: no hip flexion past 90º, no crossing the legs, and no twisting at the waist for the first six weeks after surgery.	Other: Hip Precautions; Hip precautions are functional limitations of the hip replacement prescribed to patients for the first six weeks after surgery and are no hip flexion past 90º, no crossing the legs, and no twisting at the waist.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dislocation	Incidence of dislocation of the total hip arthroplasty will be recorded for both treatment groups.	6 weeks after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Activities of Daily Living	The time from surgery to return to activities of daily living will be measured for both treatment groups. This includes return to activities of bathing, return to work, and return to driving.	1 year after surgery

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Use of Assistive Devices After Surgery	Patients will be surveyed in clinic after surgery about their use of assistive devices including seat extenders, extra pillows between the legs, and walkers. The use of these devices between groups will be compared and the cost per patient in each group for use of these devices will be determined, allowing for analysis of potential cost savings for patients not prescribed hip precautions.	6 months after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Omar Behery, MD, Orthopedics Surgeon

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 21, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): February 19, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 14, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 13, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: total hip arthroplasty; posterior approach; hip precautions
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Arthritis; Rheumatic Diseases; Joint Diseases; Osteoarthritis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 13100906

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO