Effectiveness of a bandage to prevent re-dislocation after total hip arthroplasty in patients with a previous hip dislocation. A randomized controlled trial with 12-week follow-up.

Objective: To investigate if using a hip bandage is more effective than standard care in the prevention of total hip arthroplasty re-dislocation in patients with a previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation.

Design: randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Holstebro Regional Hospital and Viborg Regional Hospital.

Subjects: A total of 99 patients, 51 women, mean 70.7 (SD 9.9) years were enrolled in an un-blinded, clinical randomized controlled trial.

Interventions: Participants with at least one previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation were randomized to either wearing a bandage reducing flexion, adduction, and internal rotation of the hip (intervention group) or to standard care (control group). The participants were followed for 12 weeks. Main follow-up measures were as follows: number of re-dislocations (primary outcome), hip disability measured with the Oxford Hip Score (0-48, 48 best), quality of life measured with the 36-Item Short Form Survey (0-100, 100 best), satisfaction with treatment and serious adverse events. Statistical analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle.

Results: No significant group differences were observed for the primary outcome re-dislocations (9 versus 15,  = 0.143) or for disability (11.3 versus 14.4,  = 0.161), quality of life (57.7 versus 48.3,  = 0.050) or satisfaction with treatment ( = 0.562). There were 3 serious adverse events leading to total hip arthroplasty revision in the intervention group and 4 in the control group.

Conclusion: We found that a hip bandage is not superior to standard care in the prevention of total hip arthroplasty re-dislocation in those with a previous total hip arthroplasty dislocation.