Implementation of falls risk evaluation at one-year after total hip arthroplasty: a cross-sectional study.
Tony Adebero, Pavlos Bobos, Lyndsay Somerville and 4 others
PMID 35836298WHAT IT FOUND
One year after hip replacement, 23% fell, yet most had balance confidence above 80.
Nearly half of patients received no falls education, and only 2% used exercise to prevent falls. Standard screening missed these deficits, suggesting performance-based tests are needed.
Key findings
0123.2% of participants reported at least one fall in the 12 months following surgery.
02Only 43.5% of patients remembered receiving falls prevention education during their post-surgical rehabilitation.
03The average Activities-specific Balance Confidence score was 84.4%, indicating high confidence despite physical deficits.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design relied on retrospective reporting of falls over 12 months, which likely underestimates the true prevalence. The study did not include a control group of healthy community-dwelling adults for direct comparison, relying instead on normative data. The FROP-Com assessment is observational and may miss subtle physical deficits that performance-based tests capture.
Declared interests
None reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high self-reported balance confidence indicates low falls risk. Patients in this study had significant deficits in strength and gait despite feeling confident, and standard screening tools classified them as low risk. Relying on confidence or screening scores alone may miss patients who need targeted physical rehabilitation.