Differences in preoperative function and outcome of patients with versus without sarcopenia after total hip arthroplasty.
Satoshi Koto, Takashi Ikeda, Shunya Inoue and 2 others
PMID 35035081WHAT IT FOUND
Sarcopenia was found in 2 of 25 hip arthroplasty patients.
These two patients had lower muscle mass and grip strength, and both needed transfer to a convalescent hospital rather than going home. No statistical comparison was possible.
Key findings
01Sarcopenia was identified in 2 of the 25 cases (8% prevalence).
02Both patients with sarcopenia were transferred to a convalescent hospital after surgery.
03The study could not perform statistical comparisons between groups because only two patients had sarcopenia.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only two patients had sarcopenia, so no statistical comparison was possible. The study was retrospective and observational, so it cannot prove that sarcopenia caused the transfer to a convalescent hospital. Both patients with sarcopenia had the posterolateral surgical approach, which might have affected recovery, so the surgical technique cannot be separated from the sarcopenia effect. Pain and leg length were not considered, which can affect walking and strength.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the transfer of the two sarcopenia patients to a convalescent hospital as evidence that sarcopenia predicts discharge destination. With only two cases and no statistical analysis, this is a descriptive report that cannot separate the effect of sarcopenia from the surgical approach or other factors.