Tailoring Rehabilitation Following Periacetabular Osteotomy for Acetabular Dysplasia: A Qualitative Interview Study on Challenges and Opportunities among Physiotherapists in Denmark and Australia.
Julie Sandell Jacobsen, Michael J M O'Brien, Jeanette R Christensen and 5 others
PMID 40620404WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists described post-PAO rehab as needing pain control, clear surgeon-PT communication, tailored exercise, patient education and social support.
Australian PTs leaned toward sport return; Danish PTs leaned toward social context and vulnerability.
Key findings
01Pain control and continuity between surgeons and physiotherapists were central themes.
02Physiotherapists described phased exercise from early motion within weight-bearing limits to later single-leg work.
03Australian and Danish physiotherapists differed in emphasis, with Australians more focused on sport return and Danes more focused on psychological readiness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study reports physiotherapists' perceptions, not patient outcomes or a tested intervention. Only 18 physiotherapists from Denmark and Australia were interviewed, so the findings may not apply elsewhere. Physiotherapists were recruited through author networks and invitations, which may miss people outside those settings. Danish and Australian interviewers differed, which may have influenced country-level differences. The analysis was done by one researcher, so alternative coding could have produced different themes. Some participants managed fewer than five patients with acetabular dysplasia each year. The paper focuses on therapeutic approaches, not organisational or funding systems.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a specific post-PAO program improves recovery. The study reports physiotherapists' experiences, not patient outcomes or tested interventions.