Short- and long-term clinical outcomes following a standardized protocol of orthopedic manual physical therapy and exercise in individuals with osteoarthritis of the hip: a case series.

OBJECTIVES: Describe short- and long-term outcomes observed in individuals with hip osteoarthritis (OA) treated with a pre-selected, standardized set of best-evidence manual therapy and therapeutic exercise interventions.

METHODS: Fifteen consecutive subjects (9 males, 6 females; mean age: 52±7.5 years) with unilateral hip OA received an identical protocol of manual therapy and therapeutic exercise interventions. Subjects attended 10 treatment sessions over an 8-week period for manual therapy interventions and performed the therapeutic exercise as a home program.

RESULTS: Baseline to 8-week follow-up outcomes were as follows: Harris Hip Scale (HHS) scores improved from 60.3(±10.4) to 80.7(±10.5), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) scores improved from 4.3(±1.9) to 2.0(±1.9), hip flexion range of motion (ROM) improved from 99 degrees (±10.6) to 127 degrees (±6.3) and hip internal rotation ROM improved from 19 degrees (±9.1) to 31 degrees (±11.5). Improvements in HHS, NPRS, and hip ROM measures reached statistical significance (P<0.05) at 8-weeks and remained significant at the 29-week follow-up. Mean changes in NPRS and HHS scores exceeded the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at 8-weeks and for the HHS scores alone at 29 weeks. The 8 and 29 week mean Global Rating of Change scores were 5.1(±1.4) and 2.1(±4.2), respectively. Improved outcomes observed following a pre-selected, standardized treatment protocol were similar to those observed in previous studies involving impairment-based manual therapy and therapeutic exercise for hip OA. Future studies might directly compare the two approaches.