Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) recovery data

Operation studied

Bernese periacetabular osteotomy — bikini-line incision (5-7 cm), ischial, pubic, and iliac cuts, acetabular fragment fixed with 3-4 screws (4.5 mm). Rehab: partial weight-bearing (10-15 kg) for 6 weeks, then protected weight-bearing with crutches for a further 6 weeks

Measures

EQ-5D VAS (self-rated overall health) (0-100, higher = better) · EQ-5D Index (health-related quality of life) (0-1, higher = better) · UCLA Activity Score (1-10, higher = better) · NAHS (Non-Arthroplasty Hip Score) (1-100, higher = better) · iHOT-12 (International Hip Outcome Tool-12) (1-100, higher = better) · Satisfaction Score (1-5, higher = better)

Reported at

preop, 6 mo, 1 yr (minimum follow-up)

Follow-up

minimum 1 year; registry data collected 2013-2023

What it reports

• Among 189 people (of 250 who were working before surgery) who reported how much time they took off, the median time off work after Bernese periacetabular osteotomy was 16 weeks, with the middle half of people away between 12 and 22 weeks.
• Counting everyone including extreme outliers, the average time off work was 19.0 weeks (SD 19.3). Excluding statistical outliers, the average was 16.5 weeks (SD 9.3).
• Time off work ranged from 0 to 208 weeks across the group.
• 11.6% (22 of 189) were back to work by 6 weeks.
• 38.6% (73 of 189) were back to work by 12 weeks.
• 62% (118 of 189) were back to work by 18 weeks.
• 85.7% (162 of 189) were back to work by 24 weeks (6 months).
• 97.4% (184 of 189) were back to work within 1 year.
• 5 people were still off work after 1 year, and 2 of those were still off after 2 years.
• 3 people had extended time off work (over a year), linked to delayed bone healing, infection, or ongoing pain at the side of the hip (greater trochanteric pain syndrome).
• A higher BMI was weakly linked to more time off work (r=0.216, p=.012, n=134). Age, smoking status, and gender showed no clear link to time off work.
• Worse hip and quality-of-life scores, both before surgery and at 1 year, were weakly linked to more time off work — for example the 1-year EQ-5D Index (r=-0.250, p=.008) and the 1-year NAHS function score (r=-0.260, p=.006).
• Among 25 people who had both hips operated on and reported timing for both surgeries: 10 took the same time off both times, 6 took less time the second time (7.3 weeks less on average), and 9 took more time the second time (8.1 weeks more on average).
• The authors note that some people reported returning to work at week 0, and suggest these are likely people with non-manual jobs who could work remotely.

What it does not report

Occupation or job type — not collected, so the paper could not say whether manual vs. desk jobs changed how long people were off work. · Driving return timing — not reported. · Sport return timing — not reported. · Week-by-week pain or function scores — only preop, 6-month, and 1-year points are given, not a weekly curve.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), a procedure that reorients the hip socket; 21 of 29 patients also had hip arthroscopy done at the same time

Measures

NRS Pain (Numeric Rating Scale for Pain) (0-10 (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable), higher = worse) · Opioid pain-pill use, patient-reported tablets per 24 hours (0 and up, no fixed ceiling, higher = worse) · Percent of prescribed opioid dose actually taken (0% and up (can exceed 100% if a refill was used), higher = worse) · Morphine milliequivalents (MME) consumed — a standard way to compare different opioid drugs on one scale (0 and up, no fixed ceiling, higher = worse)

Reported at

preop (at enrollment, before surgery), then day of surgery (POD0) through day 14 daily, then day 15 through day 42 in 2-3 day blocks sent 3x/week (postop weeks 3-6)

Follow-up

6 weeks (42 days) after surgery

What it reports

• This cohort of 29 people who had a periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) — a hip operation that repositions the socket — reported pain on a 0-10 scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable) by automated text message daily for the first 2 weeks, then 3 times a week through week 6.
• Day-by-day pain in the first 2 weeks: 6.9/10 the day of surgery (n=8 responses), 5.9/10 on day 1 (n=15), 5.6/10 on day 2 (n=16), 4.4/10 on day 3 (n=14), 4.3/10 on day 4 (n=24), 4.4/10 on day 5 (n=20), 5.0/10 on day 6 (n=22), 4.7/10 on day 7 (n=19), 4.3/10 on day 8 (n=17), 4.1/10 on day 9 (n=24), 4.2/10 on day 10 (n=26), 3.4/10 on day 11 (n=19), 3.9/10 on day 12 (n=23), 3.8/10 on day 13 (n=18), and 4.1/10 on day 14 (n=9).
• From week 3 through week 6, pain averaged 2.9/10 (days 15-17), 3.5/10 (days 18-19), 2.0/10 (days 20-21 — the lowest point recorded in the whole 6 weeks, n=6), 2.5/10 (days 22-24), 2.3/10 (days 25-26), 2.6/10 (days 27-28), 2.5/10 (days 29-31), 2.1/10 (days 32-33), 2.8/10 (days 34-35), 2.5/10 (days 36-38), 2.7/10 (days 39-40), and 3.0/10 on the final block, days 41-42 (n=6).
• Before surgery, people's average pain (converted from a 0-10 visual scale used at enrollment) was 5.7/10 (± 1.9). It took an average of 5.2 days (± 5.8) after surgery for a person's pain to fall back to, or below, that pre-surgery level.
• Opioid pain-pill use (patient-reported tablets per 24 hours) started at 1.0 tablet the day of surgery (n=5), then rose: 5.0 on day 1 (n=10), 6.5 on day 2, 8.7 on day 3, 9.5 on day 4, 7.2 on day 5, 8.9 on day 6, 8.1 on day 7, peaking at 10.1 tablets on day 8 (n=16) — then fell: 6.6 on day 9, 5.5 on day 10, 3.7 on day 11, 5.0 on day 12, 4.5 on day 13, and 2.2 tablets on day 14 (n=8).
• From week 3 on, opioid use kept falling: 2.6 tablets (days 15-17), 2.6 (days 18-19), 2.5 (days 20-21), 1.7 (days 22-24), 1.1 (days 25-26), 0.81 (days 27-28), 0.9 (days 29-31), 1.0 (days 32-33), 0.8 (days 34-35), 0.4 (days 36-38), 0.7 (days 39-40), and 0.0 tablets — none at all — on the final block, days 41-42.
• People used 59.7% (± 44.7%) of their prescribed opioid dose in the first 2 weeks, 24.7% (± 45.0%) in weeks 3-6, and 44.1% (± 42.3%) — under half — over the full 6 weeks.
• People consumed 465.5 morphine milliequivalents (MME) on average over the 6 weeks: 419.3 (± 377.6) in the first 2 weeks and 63.4 (± 87.9) in weeks 3-6.
• At discharge, people were sent home with 77.3 tablets (± 14.7) on average, at a prescribed dose of 11.4 tablets (± 2.4) per 24 hours. 52 opioid prescriptions were written in total across the 29-person cohort.
• People were discharged from hospital 3 to 4 days after surgery on average (mean day 3.45 ± 0.9, range day 2 to day 7).
• People answered the automated text check-ins 84.1% of the time over the full 6 weeks: 79.6% during the first 2 weeks of daily messages, and 90.8% during the 3-times-a-week messages of weeks 3-6.

What it does not report

Return to work. · Return to driving. · Return to sport or athletic activity. · Sleep quality or disturbance. · Any hip function or quality-of-life score (e.g. Harris Hip Score, iHOT) — none was used in this study. · Patient satisfaction. · Complications or adverse events — not reported as a quantified outcome in this paper; the limitations section does not mention any.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO)

Measures

Thinking time (driving simulator, braking at 30 mph) (seconds, no fixed range, higher = worse) · Action time (driving simulator, braking at 30 mph) (seconds, no fixed range, higher = worse) · Total brake reaction time (thinking time + action time) (seconds, no fixed range, higher = worse)

Reported at

preop, 6 wk, 12 wk

Follow-up

12 weeks (last assessment point)

What it reports

• The study tested 26 patients (24 women, 2 men) having periacetabular osteotomy, average age 32 (range 19-50), all of whom were driving with a valid license before surgery.
• A driving simulator measured how fast each patient could brake at 30 mph, before surgery and again at 6 and 12 weeks after.
• Before surgery, average reaction time was 0.69 seconds in total, made up of 0.48 seconds thinking time and 0.21 seconds action time.
• At 6 weeks after surgery, action time slowed to 0.26 seconds and total reaction time slowed to 0.78 seconds — both statistically significant increases from before surgery.
• By 12 weeks after surgery, reaction times were no longer significantly different from before surgery.
• The paper's stated conclusion: most patients are likely not safe to drive at 6 weeks after PAO but should be safe to drive by 12 weeks, with individual patient factors still needing consideration.

Not visible to us

Full methods section (exact simulator protocol, how thinking/action time were separated and validated). · Full statistical methods and any adjustment for covariates. · Discussion and limitations section. · Any tables or figures with per-patient or per-timepoint data beyond the means reported in the abstract. · Whether thinking time alone (as opposed to action time and total time) reached statistical significance at 6 weeks — the abstract reports p-values only for action time and total time. · Complication data, laterality (left/right hip), or any subgroup breakdown.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (Ganz method). 303 of 391 hips also had a concomitant procedure: open arthrotomy (300), arthroscopy (70), femoral head/neck reshaping (230), partial labral trim (27), labral repair (22)

Measures

modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) (0-100, higher = better) · HOOS Pain (0-100, higher = better) · HOOS Activities of Daily Living (0-100, higher = better) · HOOS Sports and Recreation (0-100, higher = better) · HOOS Quality of Life (0-100, higher = better) · HOOS Total Symptoms (0-100, higher = better) · UCLA Activity Score (1-10, higher = better) · SF-12 Physical Component (0-100, higher = better) · SF-12 Mental Component (0-100, higher = better)

Reported at

preop, minimum 2-year follow-up (mean 2.6 yr, range 2.0-5.4 yr)

Follow-up

mean 2.6 years, range 2.0 to 5.4 years

What it reports

• In 391 hips followed for a mean of 2.6 years (range 2.0 to 5.4 years) after periacetabular osteotomy, the HOOS pain score (0-100, higher is better) improved from 55.8 before surgery to 84.3 after.
• Hip function (modified Harris Hip Score, 0-100, higher is better) improved from 61.2 before surgery to 85.1 after.
• Ability to do daily activities (HOOS Activities of Daily Living) improved from 67.6 to 89.7.
• Sports and recreation ability (HOOS Sports and Recreation) improved from 45.8 to 77.0.
• Quality of life (HOOS Quality of Life) improved from 35.1 to 69.8.
• General physical health (SF-12 Physical Component) improved from 39.4 to 49.0.
• General mental health (SF-12 Mental Component) improved from 51.2 to 52.8.
• Self-rated activity level (UCLA Activity Score, 1-10) improved from 6.8 to 7.2.
• 364 of 391 patients (93%) were satisfied with their outcome: 55% extremely satisfied, 26% very satisfied, and 12% satisfied.
• 3 of the 391 hips (0.8%) had converted to total hip replacement by final follow-up.
• 12 hips (3%) needed a second operation, not counting hardware removal; most often (8 cases) this was a hip arthroscopy for ongoing pain.
• 26 hips (7%) had a major complication (Dindo-Clavien grade III-IV): transient nerve palsy in 9 hips (2%, fully resolved in 6), pulmonary embolism in 2 (0.5%), deep vein thrombosis in 1 (0.3%), deep infection in 2 (0.5%), a fracture in 6 (1.5%), dislocation in 1 (0.3%), heterotopic bone needing removal in 4 (1%), and loss of fixation in 1 (0.3%).

What it does not report

Weekly or monthly pain values over the recovery period — only preop and final follow-up (mean 2.6 yr) are reported, with no 6-week, 3-month, or 6-month timepoints. · Timing of return to work. · Timing of return to driving. · Timing of return to sport — only an overall sports/recreation score at final follow-up, not time-to-return. · Sleep quality.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), alone or combined with concomitant hip arthroscopy (HA)

Measures

UCLA Activity Score (1-10, higher = better) · HOOS-SR (Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Sport/Recreation subscale) (0-100, higher = better) · HOS-SSS (Hip Outcome Score, Sport-Specific Subscale) (0-100, higher = better) · Tegner and Lysholm scores (study-reported, not standardized in this paper, higher = better) · iHOT (International Hip Outcome Tool) (0-100, higher = better)

Reported at

pre-op, plus study-specific post-op checks (commonly 6 mo, 1 yr, 2 yr; some studies followed to 5-18 yr)

Follow-up

average 3.52 years across the 26 studies (range 1-18 years); PAO-alone studies ranged 1-18 years, PAO+HA studies ranged 2.83-6.5 years

What it reports

• This review pooled 26 studies covering 1,878 people (1,904 hips) who had PAO: 1,523 people in 15 studies with PAO alone, and 355 people in 10 studies where PAO was combined with hip arthroscopy (HA).
• Average age at surgery was 27.7, and 82.3% of participants were female.
• Average follow-up across the 26 studies was 3.52 years, with individual studies ranging from 1 to 18 years.
• Only 3 of the 26 studies (all PAO-alone) reported a return-to-sport rate. Across those 3 studies, the rate ranged from 63% to 90.8%, averaging 77.93%, with an average time to return to sport of 8.9 months.
• In one of those 3 studies (Heyworth et al.), 80% of people had returned to sport by a median of 9 months. Returning to the same level of sport was less common in competitive athletes (11 of 19 people, 58%) than in recreational athletes (16 of 18 people, 89%).
• Only 1 PAO+HA study reported return-to-sport data: 81% of people returned to sport at an average follow-up of 2.83 years, with a higher rate in recreational athletes (85.6%) than competitive athletes (77.8%).
• One study of 111 people who had PAO alone (Leopold et al., 5.25-year follow-up) found low-impact sport participation rose from 31.7% to 52% after surgery, a statistically meaningful change (P = 0.001), while high-impact sport participation dropped slightly from 42.3% to 36.6%, which was not statistically meaningful (P = 0.361).
• In that same 111-person study, 58.1% said surgery improved their sports ability, 18.8% said it got worse, and 23.1% said no change.
• UCLA activity scores (a 1-10 activity-level scale) rose after PAO alone in most studies that measured it: for example from 4.7 to 5.5 in a 161-person study, from 5.3 to 6.6 in a 67-person study followed 5 years, and from 5.08 to 6.95 in the 111-person Leopold et al. study followed 5.25 years.
• HOOS-SR (a 0-100 hip and sport function score) rose from 44 before surgery to 71 at 2 years in a 146-person study, and from 42.76 to 69.49 at 2 years in a 321-person study, both PAO alone.
• HOS-SSS (a 0-100 sport-specific hip score) rose from 31 to 81 at 1 year in a 33-person PAO-alone study, and from 43.3 to 80.2 at 2.83 years in a 29-person PAO+HA study.
• The authors state a meta-analysis was not feasible because of differences between the included studies, so this paper reports a narrative systematic review, not a pooled statistical analysis.
• In 11 of the 12 PAO-alone studies that reported UCLA, HOOS-SR, or HOS-SSS, scores improved significantly after surgery (P < 0.05).

What it does not report

Return-to-work timing. · Driving resumption. · Week-by-week pain or symptom tracking. · Sleep. · Sport-specific injury rates after surgery. · The paper notes 6 of the 26 studies reported iHOT scores but excludes them from the sport-outcome analysis because iHOT has no sport-specific subscore.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) — a hip operation that repositions the socket. The review pools 63 separate studies rather than one cohort; most used the Bernese/Ganz PAO technique, with a few using curved or minimally invasive variants. It is not limited to one technique.

Measures

HHS (Harris Hip Score) (0-100, higher = better) · mHHS (Modified Harris Hip Score) (0-100, higher = better) · Merle d'Aubigné (and Postel) score (0-18, higher = better) · SHV (Subjective Hip Value) (0-100 (%), higher = better)

Reported at

Pooled across 63 studies with different protocols, not one shared timeline. Weight-bearing status is tracked from the day of surgery / postoperative day 1 through the point full weight-bearing is reached (8-16 weeks depending on study); hip-function scores are compared preop to final follow-up; return to sport is assessed from about 4 months to over a year post-op depending on the study.

Follow-up

Not pooled into one figure. Each of the 63 studies reports its own follow-up length and these vary widely (individual studies in the paper's table range from under 4 months to over a decade); the review does not state an overall mean or range across all 63.

What it reports

• This review pooled 63 studies reporting postoperative weight-bearing protocols after PAO, drawn from 1,018 studies found in the initial literature search (449 duplicates removed, 569 screened by title/abstract, 164 checked in full text).
• 18 of the 63 studies (29%) stated exactly when people were first allowed to move after surgery. Of those, most — 11 studies (18% of the full 63) — had people start moving on postoperative day one. Others started on day two (4 studies, 6%), day three (1 study, 2%), day four (1 study, 2%), or the day of surgery itself (1 study, 2%).
• Partial weight-bearing (putting some, but not full, weight through the operated leg — usually with crutches) was the most common early strategy, used in 41 of 63 studies (65%).
• How 'partial' weight-bearing was described varied a lot: toe-touch in 7 studies (11%), tip-touch in 3 studies (5%), touch-down in 2 studies (3%), flat-foot in 2 studies (3%), protected in 2 studies (3%), and restricted in 1 study (2%).
• The most common length for partial weight-bearing was 6 weeks, used in 14 of 63 studies (21%), followed by 8 weeks in 12 studies (18%). Other lengths reported: 6-8 weeks in 6 studies (9%), 4-6 weeks in 4 studies (6%), 10-12 weeks in 3 studies (5%), 12 weeks in 4 studies, and 2-4 weeks in 3 studies. Less common still: 5-8 weeks (2 studies, 3%), 8-10 weeks (1 study, 2%), 8-12 weeks (1 study, 2%), 12-16 weeks (1 study, 2%), and 4-12 weeks (1 study, 2%).
• So across all 63 studies, the shortest partial weight-bearing period reported was in the 2-4 week bucket and the longest was in the 12-16 week bucket — a full published span of roughly 2 to 16 weeks depending on the protocol.
• Full weight-bearing (no more restrictions) was typically allowed between 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. The review states duration and progression to full weight-bearing 'vary considerably' and there is 'no consensus on the optimal timing of weight-bearing.'
• One specific protocol in the review's table (Disantis et al., 2022) used 'foot-flat-wb 25% + crutches' for 6-8 weeks. Another (Novais et al., 2016) used '20-30% + crutches' for the first 8-12 weeks.
• A separate expert panel of physiotherapists (cited within the review, from Disantis et al. 2022) reached consensus recommending 25% foot-flat weight-bearing for six to eight weeks — but the review is explicit this is 'expert opinion rather than an evidence-based recommendation,' noting 'no studies currently exist supporting specific weight-bearing and range of motion precautions.'
• Crutches were recommended in 30 of 63 studies (48%).
• A brace was used in only 3 of 63 studies (5%), and none of those three gave any detail on what type of brace.
• Hip Harris Score (HHS) improved from 70 to 90 in 13 studies (21%).
• Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) improved from 60 to 90 in 9 studies (14%).
• Merle d'Aubigné score rose from 14 to 16.5 in 2 studies (3%).
• Subjective Hip Value (SHV) improved from 40 to 80 in 1 study (2%).
• Return to sport was reported in 9 of 63 studies (14%). The most common recommendation was 6 months, given in 4 studies (6%); 2 studies (3%) said 6-12 months depending on how intense the activity was.
• One study cited within the review compared people who bore full weight immediately after surgery against people who delayed full weight-bearing until about two months post-op: the immediate group had a 10.5% pelvic fracture rate versus 1.25% in the delayed group.
• The review's own conclusion: PAO rehab protocols vary substantially and use inconsistent terminology; there is still no standardized, evidence-based approach to weight-bearing timing, and no prospective comparative studies directly testing different mobilization strategies exist yet.

What it does not report

Return to driving — not mentioned anywhere in the paper. · Sleep — not mentioned anywhere in the paper. · Week-by-week or day-by-day pain scores (e.g. VAS/NRS) — the paper reports only preop-to-final-follow-up hip-function scores (HHS, mHHS, Merle d'Aubigné, SHV), not a pain timeline. · A pooled/aggregate total patient count across the 63 studies — the paper explicitly does not sum this; only individual study cohort sizes appear in its table. · Any randomized controlled trial data — the review states none exist comparing different weight-bearing strategies after PAO. · Specific brace type or design — the 3 studies that mentioned bracing gave no details on brand, model, or design.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), general post-operative protocol — no specific PAO surgical variant named

Measures

Hip Outcome Score - Activities of Daily Living subscale (HOS-ADL) (0-100%, higher = better) · Hip Outcome Score - Sports subscale (HOS-Sports) (0-100%, higher = better) · Hip abductor strength ratio (involved:uninvolved side) (0-100%+, higher = better)

Reported at

weeks 1-4, 4-6, 6-8, 6-12, 8-12, 10-12, 12-16, 12-20, 20-26, 26+

What it reports

• 16 physiotherapists from the US and Canada, all treating at least 10 PAO patients a year, took part in a three-round consensus survey and all 16 completed every round.
• 15 of 16 panelists (94%) agreed a person should walk with only 25% of their body weight through the operated leg, keeping the foot flat, for the first 6-8 weeks after surgery.
• 16 of 16 panelists (100%) agreed crutches should come off only once an x-ray shows the bone has healed and the person walks without a Trendelenburg limp, an abductor lurch, or a pain-guarding (antalgic) gait — the panel gave no fixed calendar week for this.
• 13 of 16 panelists (81%) agreed hip flexion should stay under 90 degrees and outward (external) rotation under 20 degrees, measured at 90 degrees of flexion, for 4-6 weeks after surgery.
• 16 of 16 panelists (100%) agreed full hip range of motion should be back by 12-16 weeks (3-4 months) after surgery.
• 15 of 16 panelists (94%) agreed end-range stretching can start 8-12 weeks after surgery, as tolerated.
• 16 of 16 panelists (100%) agreed active hip-flexor work with the leg straight should stay limited for 8-12 weeks, with gentler hip-flexor exercise (heel slides, isometric holds) starting 4-8 weeks in, as pain allows.
• 13 of 16 panelists (81%) agreed a stationary bike can start 6-8 weeks after surgery.
• 13 of 16 panelists (81%) agreed an elliptical machine can start by 10-12 weeks.
• 15 of 16 panelists (94%) agreed glute-strengthening should move from static holds, to non-weight-bearing resisted exercise, to full weight-bearing single-leg work — the panel gave no fixed weeks for this progression.
• 14 of 16 panelists (88%) agreed leg-control and balance drills can start non-weight-bearing as tolerated and should become weight-bearing by 6 weeks.
• 14 of 16 panelists (88%) agreed running should wait until hip strength (especially the glute medius and outward rotator muscles) is normalized and the person passes functional tests such as a single-leg squat and the Y-Balance test.
• 16 of 16 panelists (100%) agreed a person is ready for full sport only once the operated hip's abductor strength reaches more than 80% of the other hip's, plus passing functional tests (single-leg squat, Y-Balance) and sport-specific drills.
• The paper's own return-to-sport table also lists scoring above 95% on the Hip Outcome Score's Activities-of-Daily-Living subscale and above 90% on its Sports subscale as self-reported function targets for full return to sport.
• The paper lays out six named phases by week: Weeks 1-4 (protect the surgical site, normalize gait with an assistive device), Weeks 4-6 (gentle motion work), Weeks 6-12 (near-full motion, strength building, gradual weight-bearing increase once gait is normal), Weeks 12-20 (advanced strengthening, endurance work), Weeks 20-26 (running and straight-line agility), and Weeks 26+ (jumping, cutting, full sport).
• The authors state this is a consensus of expert opinion, not a study of measured patient outcomes, writing that 'there is a paucity of research supporting post-operative rehabilitation guidelines' following PAO, and call for future patient-reported outcome research to confirm these targets.

What it does not report

No patient was actually tracked through recovery — this is 16 physiotherapists' expert opinion, not measured outcome data. · No week-by-week pain scores are reported (no VAS/NRS numbers). · No specific week or week range for reaching full (100%) weight-bearing is given — only the 25% foot-flat phase (6-8 weeks) and a general 'progresses once healed and gait is normal' statement within the weeks 6-12 phase. · No return-to-work, return-to-driving, or sleep data. · No data on how many real patients actually reached each phase on schedule.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09

Operation studied

periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), minimally invasive transsartorial approach with ~7cm incision, acetabulum reoriented and fixed with 2-3 cortical screws

Measures

VAS pain at rest (0-100 (paper does not print endpoint labels in the text fetched; standard VAS convention: 0 = no pain, 100 = worst pain), higher = worse) · VAS pain during activity (0-100, higher = worse) · HOOS (5 subscales: Symptom, Pain, ADL, Sport/Rec, QoL) (0-100 (paper's methods paragraph names the instrument but does not restate the numeric range in the text fetched; standard HOOS convention: 100 = no symptoms), higher = better) · SF-36 (Physical Component Score, Mental Component Score) (0-100 (not restated in the text fetched; standard SF-36 convention), higher = better) · EQ-5D index (not stated in the paper's text as fetched, higher = better)

Reported at

preop, 6 mo, 24 mo (2 yr)

Follow-up

mean 2.3 years

What it reports

• In 299 patients, average pain at rest (VAS 0-100) fell from 35 before surgery to 14 at 6 months, and stayed at 14 at 2 years — about a 50% drop that did not improve further after 6 months.
• In the same 299 patients, average pain during activity (VAS 0-100) fell from 69 before surgery to 41 at 6 months, and stayed at 41 at 2 years — about a 50% drop that held steady after 6 months.
• All patient-reported outcome scores (VAS, HOOS, SF-36, EQ-5D) improved significantly from before surgery to 6 months (p<0.000); little changed between 6 months and 2 years.
• HOOS pain subscale rose from 55 before surgery to 79 at 6 months and 79 at 2 years.
• HOOS symptom subscale rose from 53 before surgery to 73 at 6 months, and stayed at 73 at 2 years.
• HOOS daily-activities (ADL) subscale rose from 65 before surgery to 85 at 6 months and 86 at 2 years.
• HOOS sport/recreation subscale rose from 44 before surgery to 69 at 6 months and 71 at 2 years.
• HOOS quality-of-life subscale rose from 34 before surgery to 58 at 6 months and 59 at 2 years.
• SF-36 physical component score rose from 36 before surgery to 44 at 6 months and 45 at 2 years.
• SF-36 mental component score rose from 50 before surgery to 55 at both 6 months and 2 years.
• EQ-5D index rose from 0.75 before surgery to 0.82 at 6 months and 0.84 at 2 years.
• Only 131 of the 299 patients had a pain score recorded at all three timepoints (before surgery, 6 months, 2 years); the rest were missing one or more questionnaires — 67 patients answered only one or none of the questionnaires, 1 was re-operated, 1 had a prior femoral neck fracture, 10 chose not to participate, and 9 had incomplete data.
• The average centre-edge angle (a measure of how well the hip socket covers the ball) increased from 18.6° before surgery to 29.7° after surgery, but the study found no significant link between how much this angle changed and how much pain improved.
• 74 of the 299 patients (24%) had both hips operated on (bilateral PAO).

What it does not report

Return to work is not reported. · Return to driving is not reported. · Return to sport is not reported as a timeline or participation rate — only the HOOS Sport/Rec subscale score is given, which is a function/symptom score, not a return-to-sport date. · Sleep is not reported. · Pain values between the three timepoints (e.g. week-by-week or month-by-month from 0 to 6 months) are not reported — only preop, 6-month, and 24-month averages. · Complication types and rates are not systematically reported. The only complication-adjacent detail is that one patient was re-operated and excluded from the pain analysis.

Read the paper → · checked 2026-08-09