Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of action observation therapy (AOT) compared with written information in patients submitted to a physical therapy program after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Methods: We conducted a prospective clinical trial. Twenty-four patients with THA, 62.5% female (aged 69.0 ± 8.5 years), received AOT in addition to conventional physical therapy (experimental group) or written information in addition to conventional physical therapy (exercise and information group) for 10 sessions. Outcomes used were visual analog scale, hip active and passive range of motion, Barthel Index, Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey, Tinetti Scale, and Lequesne Index measurements. All measures were collected at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine the interventions effects within groups and between groups.
Results: No relevant baseline differences were observed between groups. Both treatments produced statistically significant improvements on visual analog scale, active and passive range of motion, Barthel Index, SF-36, Tinetti Scale, and Lequesne Index immediately after the intervention (all, P < .001). SF-36 (physical functioning subscale) revealed a statistically significant intergroups difference (P = .02) after treatment.
Conclusions: Both treatments were effective at improving pain, functional status, quality of life, and gait features in patients with primary THA. In addition to conventional physical therapy, AOT improved perceived physical function more than written information.
Trial registration identifier: NCT02861638.
Keywords: Arthroplasty; Hip Replacement; Rehabilitation.