Golfers have a greater improvement in their hip specific function compared to non-golfers after total hip arthroplasty but less than three-quarters returned to golf

Background
Golf is a popular pursuit amongst those requiring total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to determine if participating in golf is associated with greater functional outcomes, satisfaction or improvement in quality of life (QoL) compared to non-golfers.

Methods
All patients undergoing primary THA over a one-year period at a single institution were included with one-year postoperative outcomes. Patients were retrospectively followed up to assess if they had been golfers at the time of their surgery. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to assess the independent association of preoperative golfing status on outcomes.

Results
The study cohort consisted of a total of 308 patients undergoing THA of which 44 (14%) were golfers. This included 120 (39%) male patients and 188 (61%) female patients, with an overall mean age of 67.8 (SD 11.6) years. Golfers had a greater improvement in their hip specific Oxford Hip Score (OHS) (2.7, p=0.04) and EQ-VAS (5.5, p=0.04) however there were no difference in EuroQoL Five Dimension (EQ-5D) (0.12), pain VAS (p=0.51) or forgotten joint score (p=0.22). Of the 44 patients who reported being golfers at the time of their surgery, 32 (72.7%) returned to golf and 84.4% of those were satisfied with their involvement in golf following surgery. Those that returned to golf were more likely to be male, had higher preoperative health-related QoL (p<0.04) and hip-related functional scores (p=0.02).

Conclusion
Golfers have a greater improvement in their hip specific function (OHS) compared to non- golfers after THA. However, less than three quarters of patients return to golf, with male sex and those who have greater preoperative QoL or hip-related function are more likely to return to play.