What did I do?
The overall aim of this PhD was to improve understanding of rehabilitation and opioid use following revision total hip replacement (THR). Specifically, the thesis examined: (1) how patients experience and engage with rehabilitation after revision THR, (2) whether a targeted hip-strengthening exercise programme improves functional performance and recovery compared with standard community-based rehabilitation and (3) how opioid use develops during the first 2 years after revision THR and which patient characteristics are associated with persistent use.
Why did I do it?
Primary THR is a highly effective intervention for end-stage hip osteoarthritis, yet a substantial and growing number of patients undergo revision THR due to implant failure, infection, dislocation or periprosthetic fracture.1 Revision procedures are associated with worse pain, poorer functional outcomes, higher complication rates and greater healthcare costs than primary THR.2 Despite this increased complexity, postoperative rehabilitation following revision THR remains poorly defined, heterogeneous and largely extrapolated from evidence in primary THR populations.3 This gap is critical because revision patients face an elevated risk of prolonged pain and reduced physical performance, factors that can hinder return to recreational activity.
Moreover, these patients are more likely to experience extended opioid use, a concern given global efforts to minimise long-term …
