PURPOSE: To compare treadmill training with partial body weight support (TT-BWS) and conventional physiotherapy (CPT) in ambulatory hip arthroplasty patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In a randomized controlled trial 80 patients with a fully loadable implant who could walk independently with crutches after unilateral total hip arthropasty were randomized to receive either TT-BWS or CPT, for 10 working days. RESULTS: The Harris score, recorded by blind assessors, served as the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures were the hip extension deficit, gait velocity, gait symmetry, affected hip abductor power, its amplitude of EMG activation, and the interval from surgery to abandoning crutches was also identified. At the end of training, the experimental group's Harris score was 13,6 points higher (p < 0.0001). Further, hip extension deficit was 6.8 degrees less (p < 0.0001), gait symmetry was 10% greater (p = 0.001), affected hip abductor was stronger (4.2 versus 3.7 MRC grades, p < 0.0001), and the amplitude of gluteus medius activity was 57.1% greater (p = 0.001). Gait velocity did not differ in the two groups. These significant differences in favor of the experimental group persisted at 3 and 12 months. The experimental group abandoned their crutches sooner than the control group (3 versus 8 weeks). CONCLUSION: TT-BWS is more effective than CPT at restoring symmetrical independent walking after hip replacement.

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