Health related quality of life in patients with total hip or knee replacement

Objective: The Quality of Well Being index (QWB) and the SF-36 are questionnaires that have received widespread use in outcomes research. The relationship between the QWB index and the SF-36 was studied in patients receiving total hip or knee replacement because of primary osteoarthritis, and the health status of these individuals was contrasted to that of the general population. Design: The QWB and SF-36 were both administered preoperatively and postoperatively and at 3 and 6 months in individuals with hip or knee replacement. Setting: A primary care university teaching hospital. Patients: Forty-three subjects with an age range of 30 to 78 years (mean 58yrs SD 10.6) who received total joint replacement, either hip or knee. Results: The change in the QWB at 3 and 6 months after a total hip replacement or total knee replacement was most associated with the change in general health (.50), bodily pain (.72), and vitality (.62) of the SF-36. Both tools (QWB, SF-36) demonstrated similar levels of responsiveness and the scores were lower than the scores from the general population. Conclusion: The summary score of the QWB and various health concepts of the SF-36 respond similarly after joint replacement from osteoarthritis. The relationship between the change in the QWB and SF-36 depends on the time after surgery (3 vs 6 months) and the type of joint replacement (knee vs hip). (C) 1999 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.