Patient compliance with postoperative precautions in an unrestricted and a supine sleeping position following posterolateral total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate compliance with the precaution to sleep in a supine position following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and its impact on the other precautions. Materials and methods Single-center, parallel-group, stratified, randomized trial. Patients were allocated to a Restricted Group or an Unrestricted Group. This study focuses on compliance with the precaution to sleep in a supine position, compliance with the remaining set of precautions and the burden of restricted sleeping. Measurements were made using a self-administered diary and questionnaires. Trial registration number: NCT02107248. Results During the first 2 weeks, 81% of the patients in the restricted group were compliant with sleeping in a supine position. Patients in the Unrestricted Group significantly kept sleeping fewer days per week in a supine position than patients in the Restricted Group (p = 0.000). No significant differences between the two groups were found regarding compliance with the remaining set of precautions. The burden of the sleeping restriction is significantly lowered in the Unrestricted Group (p = 0.000) Conclusions Compliance with restricting patients to sleep in a supine position is high. Removing this precaution has a significant decrease in burden for patients without affecting compliance with the remaining set of precautions. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02107248 – https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02107248?term=anil+peters&draw=2&rank=1 IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Sleeping precautions cause a high rate of burden to patients, whereas movement precautions do not. By removing sleeping precautions, the burden is significantly reduced without affecting the remaining set of precautions. Compliance with movement precautions is high compared to other more functional precautions.