A second limitation of the study is a lack of pre-operative
testing of hip abductor strength as well as other outcome
measures, which would add value to the study.
However, the patients that require inpatient rehabilitation
in this study are not identified pre-operatively. The need
for inpatient rehabilitation is identified post-operatively on
an individual basis and outpatient rehabilitation is determined
on arrival to the rehabilitation hospital. The lack of
pre-operative testing is taken into account by measuring
the hip abductor and quadriceps muscle strength at all
time points in the study. The recovery of muscle strength
in both groups can then be compared and their contribution
to functional gains calculated.