Does Focused Gluteus Medius Muscle Stretching After Total Hip Arthroplasty Work? An Electromyographic Study.

Background: The hypothesis of this randomized prospective study was that focused stretching of the gluteus medius muscle, in addition to generalized physical therapy, is likely to improve muscle reaction time and positively impact the return to function of the patient after primary total hip arthroplasty.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 28 patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty from January 2021 to January 2023. The control group (13 patients) received a conventional rehabilitation protocol, while the intervention group (15 patients) received focused stretching exercises of the gluteus medius muscle in addition to the conventional rehabilitation protocol.