Published results showed patients with and those without prior lumbar spinal fusion had similar improvements in physical activity level following total hip arthroplasty, despite lower self-reported physical activity levels among patients with prior lumbar spinal fusion.

Using an integrated health care system’s total joint replacement registry and spine registry, Adrian D. Hinman, MD, associate chief in the department of orthopedic surgery at The Permanente Medical Group, and colleagues identified patients who underwent primary elective THA and prior lumbar spine fusion. Patients self-reported physical activity, which researchers measured in minutes per week. Researchers evaluated the association between prior spine fusion and the change in physical activity from 1 year pre-THA to 1 to 2 years post-THA using generalized linear models.