Solomito Matthew J, Witmer Daniel K, Lucchio Peter, Kostyun Regina O
Research Department, Hartford Hospital's Bone and Joint Institute, Hartford, Connecticut.
Research Department, Hartford Hospital's Bone and Joint Institute, Hartford, Connecticut; Joint Surgery, Orthopedic Associates of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.
J Arthroplasty. 2025 Apr;40(4):929-934. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2024.09.041. Epub 2024 Sep 30.
Mental illness is a known risk factor for poor postoperative outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA); however, the relationship between a patients overall mental health and recovery from THA is not as well established. Using the preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-10) Mental Health Subdomain T-Score (MHT), the purpose of this study was to understand the association between mental health and postoperative outcomes up to one year following THA.
This was a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing elective primary THA. Patients who did not have a formal diagnosis of a mental illness condition were divided based on their MHT (above average [AA] > 50, average 40 to 50, below average [BA] < 40). Postsurgical parameters included inpatient opioid consumption and patient satisfaction, and 1-year postsurgery self-reported pain and patient-reported outcomes scores. A total of 972 patients were included in this study (AA 61.2%, average 33.1%, BA 5.7%).
After controlling for confounders, multivariate models demonstrated that the MHT was an independent predictor of pain, opioid consumption, patient-reported outcomes, and satisfaction. Patients in the AA group overall demonstrated better outcomes and required fewer opioids than those in the BA group.
The MHT can be used as a preoperative screening tool that can identify an at-risk group that has not been previously described. An MHT < 40 was associated with poor postoperative outcomes, increased pain and opioid consumption, and lower overall satisfaction scores.