[Quality of life in patients before and after total hip arthroplasty].

INTRODUCTION

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease in adults and according to WHO is one of the civilisation threats. Total joint replacement is the best method of treatment of severe osteoarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study group consisted of 62 (44 women, 18 men) patients, who due to the severe osteoarthritis underwent total hip replacement at the Department of Orthopaedics Poznań University of Medicine. The mean age was 63 (range 30-87). For the evaluation of the quality of life the modified questionnaire WHOQOL-100 was used. The first evaluation was performed before the surgery, the second one 12-18 (average 14) months postoperatively.

RESULTS

At the final evaluation the improvement was observed in the following domains: physical, psychological, level of independence, environmental and the global quality of life. No change was observed in the domain "social relations". The greatest improvement was observed in the following subscales: "pain and discomfort", "vitality and fatigue", mobility, "everyday activities", "drug dependence", transportation. No significant change was found in the following subscales: "sleep and rest", "positive feelings", "ability to work and learn", "personal social relations" and accessibility and quality of healthcare.