Health-related quality of life and mobility of patients awaiting elective total hip arthroplasty: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Waits for elective total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis are common in publicly funded health care systems, but they may lead to poorer postoperative outcomes and loss of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) through progressive pain and immobility during the wait. These issues have not been examined from the time of referral for surgery. Our primary objective was to test whether a longer wait was associated with poorer …