CASE REPORT | OPEN ACCESS Medical Science 27, e257ms3049 (2023) 1 of 7 Effect of proprioceptive exercises on balance and kinesiophobia in a patient with bilateral total hip arthroplasty: A case report Tushara Nair 1* , Kumar GP 2 ABSTRACT Total hip arthroplasty (THA), done as a result of idiopathic avascular necrosis damages the joint proprioceptors which leads to impairments in proprioception, balance and increase in the fear of movements that is kinesiophobia. A 42-year-old male, diagnosed with bilateral avascular necrosis was operated in the form of bilateral THA. The patient came to the physiotherapy outpatient department of Dhiraj General Hospital after one and half months with complaints of pain over the recently operated hip joint during sit-to-stand activities, fear of fall and difficulties in walking. A physiotherapy rehabilitation protocol was formed and personalized according to the needs of the patient. Berg Balance Scale, TAMPA scale for kinesiophobia and hip joint proprioception were taken as the primary outcome measures. This study concludes that proprioceptive exercises following THA help decrease kinesiophobia, improve balance and joint proprioception. Keywords: Total hip arthroplasty, balance, hip joint proprioception, kinesiophobia, proprioceptive exercises, osteomyelitis, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgical treatment, inflammation. 1. INTRODUCTION Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is a frequently performed surgical procedure in cases of Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the hip as it commonly leads to the collapse of the femoral head (Väänänen et al., 2021; Ganesh et al., 2022). The joint mechanoceptors are present in the structures surrounding the joint which are compromised due to AVN and major surgeries like THA, as a result of which hip joint proprioception and balance get altered (Labanca et al., 2021). Kinesiophobia is an important psychological factor and an adaptation to an acute painful stimulus, which in the later phase leads to avoidance of movements resulting in chronic pain and decreased functional ability, which in turn affects the outcomes of THA (Alsaleem et al., 2021). MEDICAL SCIENCE To Cite: Nair T, Kumar GP. Effect of proprioceptive exercises on balance and kinesiophobia in a patient with bilateral total hip arthroplasty: A case report. Medical Science 2023; 27: e257ms3049. doi: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v27i136/e257ms3049 Authors’ Affiliation: 1 College of Physiotherapy, Sumandeep Vidyapeeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India ORCID: 0000-0001-7089-9750 2 College of Physiotherapy, Sumandeep Vidyapeeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India ORCID: 0000-0001-8542-5179 * Corresponding author College of Physiotherapy, Sumandeep Vidyapeeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India ORCID: 0000-0001-7089-9750 Email: tushara.nair2@gmail.com Peer-Review History Received: 05 May 2023 Reviewed & Revised: 09/May/2023 to 04/June/2023 Accepted: 06 June 2023 Published: 11 June 2023 Peer-review Method External peer-review was done through double-blind method. Medical Science pISSN 2321–7359; eISSN 2321–7367 This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY). Copyright © 2023 Discovery Scientific Society. DISCOVERY SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY