A recent study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has found that a simple 10-meter walking test conducted before hip replacement surgery can predict how well patients will recover after the procedure. Researchers from Kyushu University in Japan analyzed data from 274 patients with hip osteoarthritis who underwent total hip arthroplasty, commonly known as hip replacement.
The study collected preoperative information including symptom duration, pain intensity, hip range of motion, lower-limb muscle strength, and free gait speed over 10 meters. After surgery, patient-reported outcomes were measured using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) to assess pain and function, and the Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) to evaluate awareness of the artificial joint during daily activities.
Preoperative gait speed was identified as a significant predictor of postoperative clinical outcomes. Both hip flexion range of motion and strength were also significantly associated with preoperative gait speed.
Researchers established cutoff values for gait speed: 0.7 meters per second for achieving meaningful improvement in pain, and 1.0 meters per second for reduced awareness of the prosthesis. The findings indicate that only a preoperative gait speed at or above 1.0 meters per second independently predicts excellent outcomes after surgery.
The study noted that this threshold aligns with criteria used to define sarcopenia and is consistent with previous research showing typical walking speeds among adults aged 60–69 are between 1.2 and 1.4 meters per second.
The authors suggest that patients with a preoperative gait speed below 1.0 meters per second may need to consider the timing of their surgery carefully, as slower walking speeds are linked to poorer recovery prospects.
Gait speed reflects overall cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal health and is recognized as an indicator for adverse outcomes such as complications after surgery or increased risk of falls and disability in older adults. A decrease in walking speed by just 0.1 meter per second has been linked to lower survival rates among older individuals living independently.
Measuring gait speed requires minimal equipment, making it accessible across different healthcare settings. Its reproducibility makes it a practical tool for assessing patient readiness for surgery and setting rehabilitation goals.
Factors such as age, range of motion in the hip joint, muscle strength around the hip, and pain levels all influence preoperative walking speed. The researchers recommend pre-surgery rehabilitation programs focused on improving these factors to help ensure better recovery after hip replacement procedures.
The study also notes certain limitations: patients who regularly use a walking stick were allowed to do so during testing—which could overestimate their ability—and those with arthritis in other joints or spine were included in the analysis.
