Prevalence and risk factors of falls in adults one-year after total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is very successful in alleviating the pain from osteoarthritis. Yet deficits in lower extremity strength, gait and balance after surgery has identified this group at risk of falls. Considering the high number of people annually receiving a THA, further elaboration of factors associated with falls are needed to refine falls prevention guidelines. The objective was to examine the prevalence and circumstances of falling and the risk factors associated with falling in older adults in the first year after THA surgery. This was a cross-sectional study involving 108 individuals (age of 72.4+/-6.5years, 60% females) who had unilateral THA. The primary outcome was falls and their circumstances during the 12 months after the THA. Twenty-five people (23.1%) had at least one fall and the majority of falls (56%) occurred 6 to 12 months after surgery. Falls resulted in minor injuries for 44% and 12% reported major injuries. The strongest independent predictor for falls was a history of a previous joint replacement with OR of 7.38, 95% CI(2.41, 22.62), p<.001. Overall, the information highlights that falls are common after THA, yet considering the older age of people having this surgery screening for falls risk should follow established guidelines.