Background: The results after total hip arthroplasty are often excellent, though they can be influenced by multitude of factors. In this study it has been investigated if an association existed between preoperative psychological distress (anxiety and depression) and postoperative functional outcome.

Methods: We performed a prospective study of follow-up of a cohort. The inclusion criteria were a clinical and radiological diagnosis of degenerative osteoarthritis of hip. Three functional variables (pain, mobility and functionality) and two psychological variables (anxiety and depression) were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively in the principal study, being the dementia the principal criterion of exclusion.

Results: 91 patients fulfilled the criteria of incorporation (81 primary osteoarthritis, 5 rheumatoid arthritis and 6 osteonecrosis of the femoral head), presenting 9.8 % depression and 12 % anxiety preoperatively, and 2.2 % depression and 3.3 % anxiety postoperatively, finding statistically significant differences in the difference of the functional outcome (p < 0.001) and in the influence of the anxiety (p < 0.02) in them, and not statistically significant in the influence of the depression (p=0.93) in the difference of the functional outcome.

Conclusions: Anxiety preoperative influenced the functional outcome one year after the surgical procedure of the patients submitted to hip arthroplasty.