Hip replacement in Central Greece: a critical view on patients’ profile

Introduction-Purpose: As elderly people tend to have an increase of percentage in the Greek population, health problems related to ageing, such as primary hip osteoarthritis will result in an increase of treatment demand of procedures like total hip arthroplasty. Identifying the key characteristics of these prospective, patients will be valuable for health professionals as well as in the design of hospital services and orthopedic clinics.Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-three patients who underwent a total hip arthroplasty at the University Hospital of Larissa, Greece, were interviewed one year after their procedure. Their demographic and social characteristics were analyzed. In addition, we tried to identify associations or correlations that may be important for the general profile of a patient with primary hip osteoarthritis, in rural central Greece.Results-Conclusions: Based on our study we conclude that for rural Greece, the common patient will be an elderly (60 to 79 y.o.) overweight (BMI>25) woman of low income and education, with strong support from the social network. Smoking and alcohol consumption do not seem to correlate with hip osteoarthritis. Forty percent of patients had not completed mandatory education. Health professionals (surgeons, nurses, therapists) should always have patient’s satisfaction as a criterion for service quality evaluation and control.