Gait analysis of patients with metal-on-metal resurfacing hip arthroplasty compared with big-femoral-head total hip arthroplasty

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate gait patterns in patients with metal-on-metal resurfacing hip arthroplasty (RHA) compared with big-femoral-head total hip arthroplasty (BHA) at one year postoperatively.

METHODS: In this retrospective comparative observational study, 2 groups of 30 resurfacing hip arthroplasty (RHA) and big-femoral-head total hip arthroplasty (BHA) patients participated between June 2006 and March 2009 in the Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China. Gait parameters and range of motion (ROM) in gait cycles were measured by Vicon gait analysis system and were used to calculate operated/contralateral ratios.

RESULTS: No significant difference was found between gait parameter ratios, Hospital for Special Surgery Score (HSS), and University of California at Los Angeles Score (UCLA) of the 2 groups. However, there was significant difference between ROM ratios in gait cycles. Range of motions of operated hip joint were more similar to that of contra-lateral side in RHA group (hip flexion/extension p=0.007, hip abduction/adduction p=0.005, hip rotation p=0.006, knee flexion/extension p=0.037).

CONCLUSION: Gait parameters of patients who underwent RHA and BHA are approaching to normal values at one year postoperatively. At the time point, ROMs of RHA patients are larger than that of BHA patients during walking.