C Batailler, A Rozinthe, M Mercier, R Gaillard, C Bankhead, E Servien, S Lustig (Lyon)
Introduction : Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is currently performed on active patients with increasing functional demands. Single stage bilateral THA is indicated in younger patients in good general health. Our objective was to evaluate the return to sport (RTS) in patients who underwent bilateral single stage THA compared to unilateral THA.
Methods : This retrospective case control study was conducted between 2013 and 2017. All patients who underwent bilateral single stage THA were included. The control group had unilateral THA performed and was matched based on age, BMI, gender, and surgery date (2 controls for each bilateral case). All surgeries were performed by a single senior surgeon using the anterior approach. The UCLA Activity Score was collected at the last follow-up. A questionnaire regarding RTS, motivation, and satisfaction was assessed.
Results : Thirty-two patients were included in the study, of whom 21 were men. The average age was 60.7 years ±9.6, BMI was 26 kg/m2 ±4, and mean follow-up was 20.1 months ±11.6. Twenty-eight patients overall (87%) returned to sport after the procedure. Twenty-five of these (89%) returned to the same sport, and 17 (68%) participated at the same intensity. The average time to RTS was 4 months ±2.8. These results were at least as good as those after unilateral THA. The level of motivation of the patient was the only predictive factor for RTS (p<0.001).
Conclusion : Bilateral single stage THA allows for a rapid RTS and to a similar level in the majority of patients in whom this procedure is indicated.