Comparison of patient-reported outcomes between hip resurfacing and total hip replacement

This study compared the demographic, clinical and patient-reported outcomes after total

hip replacement (THR) and Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) carried out by a single

surgeon. Patients completed a questionnaire that included the WOMAC, SF-36 scores and

comorbid medical conditions. Data were collected before operation and one year after. The

outcome scores were adjusted for age, gender, comorbid conditions and, at one year, for the

pre-operative scores. There were 214 patients with a THR and 132 with a BHR. Patients with

a BHR were significantly younger (49 vs 67 years, p < 0.0001), more likely to be male (68% vs

42% of THR, p < 0.0001) and had fewer comorbid conditions (1.3 vs 2.0, p < 0.0001). Before

operation there was no difference in WOMAC and SF-36 scores, except for function, in which

patients awaiting THR were worse than those awaiting a BHR.

At one year patients with a BHR reported significantly better WOMAC pain scores (p =

0.04) and in all SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). Patients undergoing BHR report a significantly

greater improvement in general health compared with those with a THR.