Protein and exercise improved early recovery after hip surgery
Hospital stays averaged 5.11 days with a 14-day preoperative protein-and-exercise program, compared with 6.94 days with standard care.
Limit: Baseline group imbalances complicate recovery comparisons, even after adjusting for age and chronic diseases
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
A randomized trial enrolled 71 patients scheduled for total hip replacement. Researchers assigned 36 patients to a 14-day program before surgery and 35 to standard care. The program combined 25 grams of whey protein, a milk protein, daily with structured exercises at home. Patients received initial instruction in person followed by telephone monitoring.
Researchers collected measurements before surgery and on days 3 and 5 afterward. Patients in the combined program scored higher on the Barthel Index, which measures independence in everyday activities. This difference remained after accounting for age and chronic diseases. Hospital stays were also shorter with the program, and that difference remained after the same adjustment.
Why it matters
Hip osteoarthritis can limit mobility as people age. The trial addressed whether preparation before joint replacement could support independence during the first days of recovery.
Caveats
Baseline differences between the groups warranted caution about the size of the effects. This 71-patient trial assessed early recovery after hip replacement; the abstract does not report adverse events or longer-term recovery.
From the paper
- Participants
This randomized controlled trial included 71 patients scheduled for total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Quoted word for word from the full text on link.springer.com.
The paper
Kutahya Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, Oct 18, 2026, Open access, CC BY
