Harris Hip Score Calculator

How does Harris hip score calculator work?

This is a health tool that evaluates hip status based on movement and functionality in day to day activities. It can be used to evaluate hip function and daily activity restrictions in patients suffering from osteoarthritis as it assesses symptoms that are characteristic to this condition such as pain, loss of mobility and muscle function.

The domains which are investigated in the score are as follows:

■ Pain – measures pain severity, the effect of pain on daily activities and the usage of pain medication.

■ Limp, Support, Distance walked – checks whether gait symptoms are present.

■ Sitting, Public transportation, Stairs, Putting on shoes and socks – evaluates the degree of impairment in daily activities due to hip articulation symptoms.

■ Absence or presence of deformity – this domain takes into account hip flexion, adduction, ability to perform internal rotation and any limb length discrepancy.

■ Range of motion scale – where the normal values are the following:

- Flexion: 140 degrees;

- Abduction: 40 degrees;

- Adduction: 40 degrees;

- External rotation: 40 degrees;

- Internal rotation: 40 degrees.

Another usage of the Harris hip score calculator is in the outcome assessment of patient that underwent hip replacement surgery and determines hip disabilities. Clinically, the score has shown consistency, inter and intra observer reliability.

The HHS is an easy to apply questionnaire, takes about 5 minutes and does not require any specialist training as long as it is performed by a medical specialist.

In terms of comparison to other similar assessments, this hip score is deemed more responsive than the test of walking speed, pain and the function subscales in the SF-36 for patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hip.

The Harris hip score belongs to a bigger group of assessment scores that cover articulation mobility and dysfunctional symptoms, such as the Knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS).

Harris hip score grading

The ten items described above have each a series of answer choices with different number of points awarded. These range on scales from 0 to 47 while the maximum score awarded after answering all questions is 100. The higher the score, the better the prospects and the lower the dysfunction.

■ Pain – 1 item, scores between 0 and 44;

■ Function – 7 items, scores between 0 and 47;

■ Deformity – 1 item, score either 0 or 4;

■ Range of motion – 1 item, scores between 0 and 5.

Depending on the overall result, there are 4 categories of hip status:

■ <70: poor hip status;

■ 70 – 79: fair hip status;

■ 80 – 89: good hip status;

■ 90 – 100: excellent hip status.

In situations where the Harris score is applied post operative, any increase of the score with more than 20 correlated with radiographic evidence of the stability of the implant suggests that there is no need for additional femoral reconstruction.

References

1) Harris WH. (1969) Traumatic arthritis of the hip after dislocation and acetabular fractures: treatment by mold arthroplasty. An end-result study using a new method of result evaluation. J Bone Joint Surg Am; 51(4):737-55.

2) Marchetti P, Binazzi R, Vaccari V, Girolami M, Morici F, Impallomeni C, Commessatti M, Silvello L. (2005) Long-term results with cementless Fitek (or Fitmore) cups. J Arthroplasty; 20(6):730-7.

3) Söderman P, Malchau H. (2001) Is the Harris hip score system useful to study the outcome of total hip replacement? Clin Orthop Relat Res; (384):189-97.

4) Hoeksma Hl, Van den Ende CHM, Ronday HK, Heering A, Breedveld FC, Dekker J. (2003) Comparison of the responsiveness of the Harris Hip Score with generic measures for hip function in osteoarthritis of the hip. Ann Rheum Dis; 62:935-938