Rocking Chairs as Post-operative Treatment for Older Adults After Hip Surgery (FAIRChair)

Feasibility and Acceptability of the Impact of a Rocking Chair Intervention on Recovery Compared to Standard Care of Stationary Chair on Older Adults After Elective Orthopedic Hip Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Feasibility and acceptability randomized controlled trial exploring the use of a rocking chair after a total hip arthroplasty in adults who are aged 65 or older. Primary aims include its feasibility and acceptability; exploratory aims include the impact of rocking on pain, gastrointestinal effects, anxiety, ambulation, and additional healthcare visits.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Postoperative Care
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Active rocking in a rocking chair; Behavioral: Sitting upright in a stationary chair

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Amelia Hopper, MSN; Phone Number: 816-235-5700; Email: amhkk9@umkc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• scheduled to undergo an elective primary total hip arthroplasty
• Weigh less than 163kg (limit of rocking chair)
• Able to consent
• Able to rock with at least one leg

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to sit in a chair for at least 30 minutes at a time
• Hospitalized more than 24 hours after surgery
• Cannot read and understand the English language
• Planned disposition to rehabilitation facility or skilled nursing facility
• Known vestibular dysfunction (such as Menieres, traumatic brain injury, vertigo)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Group; Rocking chair intervention	Behavioral: Active rocking in a rocking chair; Participants will actively rock 3 times per day for 30 minutes in a rocking chair; Other Names: Rocking
Active Comparator: Attention Control Group; Sitting upright in stationary chair	Behavioral: Sitting upright in a stationary chair; Participants will sit upright in a stationary chair 3 times per day for 30 minutes; Other Names: Sitting

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of participants that enroll and complete study assessed by Feasibility Participant Questionnaire (developed by investigators)	Feasibility of active rocking post-operative measured by total number of participants enrolled, total percentage and number completing the study, and percent of missing data. A higher percent of missing data is a negative outcome.	From enrollment to 31-day follow-up
Total participants reporting acceptability of rocking or sitting as measured by Acceptability for Participants Questionnaire	Acceptability of rocking or sitting after hip arthroplasty indicated by score on domains of affective, perceived effectiveness, intervention coherence, ethicality, burden, opportunity costs, self-efficacy likert scales from 1-4 (Not at all, a little, somewhat, very much). Scores from each domain are combined and summed to determine a single acceptability score (higher scores equate to higher acceptability of the intervention).	From enrollment to 31-day follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total amount of participants' Daily anxiety measured using the Anxiety subscale of the Neuro-QoL Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale	The participants will report their Daily anxiety assessment using the Anxiety subscale of the Neuro-QoL Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, which assesses self-reported fear, worry, tension, and nervousness and will be scored with a T-score with higher scores indicating more anxiety. The scores range from 0-3 (not at all, not often, sometimes, most of the time).	From enrollment through 31-day follow-up
Total participants indicating Nausea using the PROMIS Scale v1.0 GI Nausea and Vomiting 4A	Participants indicate Daily nausea assessment on 5-point Likert scale (never, rarely, sometimes, often, always). Higher scores indicate more Nausea.	From surgery (Day 1 of the study) to 31-day follow-up
Total participants reporting Gas/bloating via PROMIS v1.1 GI Gas and Bloating 13A	Participants reporting Daily gas/bloating assessment on 5-point Likert scale (not at all, a little bit, somewhat, quite a bit, very much). Higher scores indicate more daily gas/bloating.	From surgery (Day 1 of the study) to end of 31-day follow-up
Total participants reporting Daily pain assessed by PROMIS v2.0 pain intensity 3A	Participants reporting Daily pain assessment on 5-point likert scale (no pain, mild, moderate, severe, very severe). Higher scores equate to more daily pain experienced.	From surgery (Day 1 of the study) to end of 31-day follow-up
Total amount of participants' Daily Ambulation as measured using steps via activPAL4pro accelerometer	The amount of participants' Daily ambulation will be assessed with the amount of steps taken per day using the triaxial accelerometer activPAL4pro. More steps per day equates to greater ambulation.	After surgery (Day 1 of the study) and up to 7 days post-surgery
Participants' self-reported Additional healthcare visits since their surgery, as assessed via phone call at 31-days post-surgery	The total number of Additional healthcare visits will be assessed via phone call at 31-days post-surgery using the investigator-developed question: Have you been hospitalized since you have been discharged from your hip surgery?	From surgery (Day 1 of the study) until 31-day follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Missouri, Kansas City
• Collaborators: Sigma-Tau Research, Inc.; Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
• Investigators: Study Chair: Matthew Chrisman, PHD, University of Missouri, Kansas City

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: older adults; recovery; intervention; hip arthroplasty; acceptability; rocking chair; feasiblity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Posture; Sitting Position
• Other Study ID Numbers: 457957

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Will provide de-identified data to other researchers if a reasonable request is made
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Start date: March 2026 End date: up to 7 years after study ends
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Study investigators will be able to access the IPD after it has been de-identified. They will access via password protected files.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No