Patient compliance with postoperative precautions in an unrestricted and a supine sleeping position following posterolateral total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: To evaluate compliance with the precaution to sleep in a supine position following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and its impact on the other precautions.

Materials and methods: Single-center, parallel-group, stratified, randomized trial. Patients were allocated to a Restricted Group or an Unrestricted Group. This study focuses on compliance with the precaution to sleep in a supine position, compliance with the remaining set of precautions and the burden of restricted sleeping. Measurements were made using a self-administered diary and questionnaires. Trial registration number: NCT02107248.

Results: During the first 2 weeks, 81% of the patients in the restricted group were compliant with sleeping in a supine position. Patients in the Unrestricted Group significantly kept sleeping fewer days per week in a supine position than patients in the Restricted Group (p = 0.000). No significant differences between the two groups were found regarding compliance with the remaining set of precautions. The burden of the sleeping restriction is significantly lowered in the Unrestricted Group (p = 0.000)

Conclusions: Compliance with restricting patients to sleep in a supine position is high. Removing this precaution has a significant decrease in burden for patients without affecting compliance with the remaining set of precautions.