We have undertaken a prospective evaluation of health-related quality-of-life outcomes in 26 consecutive patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy with a minimum follow-up of 24 months (24 to 42). The Western Ontario-Macmaster (WOMAC) and Short Form 36 (SF-36) outcome measures were evaluated preoperatively and at follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included retrospective assessment of sports activity and satisfaction with the procedure.

Follow-up data were available for 22 patients (85%). A significant improvement in the pain (p < 0.0001) and function (p < 0.0001) scales of the WOMAC and the SF-36 physical score (p < 0.0001) was seen. The mean sports activity score improved from 1.9 to 4.4, with a very high mean satisfaction rating of 89.7/100.

A significant improvement in both global and disease-specific health outcomes can be expected after this operation, with a high rate of satisfaction and improvement in sporting activities.