Minimal clinically important difference in the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: A multicenter prospective cohort study

BackgroundTotal hip arthroplasty (THA) is an effective treatment for hip osteoarthritis (OA), improving pain, function, and quality of life (QOL). The Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) is widely used to assess treatment outcomes; however, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the short-term remains unclear. This study aimed to determine MCID values for HOOS at 3 and 6 months post-THA using the anchor method.MethodsThis multicenter prospective cohort study included patients with hip OA undergoing primary unilateral THA. HOOS subscales (symptoms, pain, activities of daily living [ADL], sport and recreation [SR], and QOL) were assessed preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. MCID was determined using receiver operating characteristic analyses with the Global Rating of Change scale as the anchor.ResultsA total of 127 patients were included in the analysis, with 107 patients assessed at 3 months and 102 at 6 months post-THA. At 3 months after THA, the MCID values for the HOOS subscales were 7.50 for symptoms, 8.75 for pain, 4.41 for ADL, 9.38 for SR, and 9.38 for QOL. At 6 months after THA, the corresponding MCID values were 12.50, 11.25, 23.53, 10.00, and 15.63, respectively.ConclusionShort-term MCID values for HOOS subscales post-THA were established, aiding early assessment of treatment effectiveness and guiding postoperative care.