Enclosing a pen reduced time to response to questionnaire mailings.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of including a pen in postal questionnaires on response rate, necessity of reminders, time to response, and completeness of response to the primary outcome question (POQ).

Study Design And Setting: A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) embedded within the screening of older women for prevention of fracture trial (SCOOP). Women, aged 70-75 years, were randomized to receive a pen with their questionnaire (n = 3,826) or to receive the questionnaire alone (n = 3,829).

Clinical tool to identify patients who are most likely to achieve long-term improvement in physical function after total hip arthroplasty.

Objective: To develop a clinical risk prediction tool to identify patients most likely to experience long-term clinically meaningful functional improvement following total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: We studied 282 patients from 2 health districts in England (Portsmouth and North Staffordshire) who were ≥45 years of age and undergoing THA for primary osteoarthritis. Baseline data on age, sex, comorbidity, body mass index (BMI), functional status (Short Form 36 [SF-36]), and preoperative radiographic severity were collected by interview and examination.

Bone health and deterioration in quality of life among participants from the Hertfordshire cohort study.

Unlabelled: We utilised the Hertfordshire cohort study to examine relationships between bone density at baseline and SF-36 status 4 years later. We found deterioration in the mental health domain over follow-up in osteoporotic men (but not women) compared with other groups (relative rate ratio=5.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.

Long-term outcome following total knee arthroplasty: a controlled longitudinal study.

Objectives: To assess long-term outcome and predictors of prognosis following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis.

Methods: We followed-up 325 patients from 3 English health districts approximately 6 years after TKA, along with 363 controls selected from the general population. Baseline data, collected by interview and examination, included age, sex, comorbidity, body mass index (BMI), functional status and preoperative radiographic severity of osteoarthritis.

Long-term outcome following total hip arthroplasty: a controlled longitudinal study.

Objective: To assess long-term outcome and predictors of prognosis following total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: We studied 282 patients from 2 English health districts approximately 8 years after THA, along with 295 controls selected from the general population. Baseline data were collected by interview and examination, on sex, age, comorbidity, body mass index (BMI), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) functional status, and preoperative radiographic severity of OA was graded.