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Last Updated: August 10, 2026
Key takeaways
The Harris Hip Score rates hip pain, function, deformity, and range of motion out of 100 points after hip replacement.
Pain is worth 44 points and function 47, so those two domains decide 91 of the 100 available points.
Grades run from excellent at 90 and above, good at 80 to 89, fair at 70 to 79, and poor below 70.
A gain of 15.9 to 18 points counts as a clinically meaningful improvement, so smaller changes may be measurement variation.
The modified version drops range of motion and deformity, scores out of 91, and is completed by the patient.
Download your free Harris Hip Score template
The printable form lists all 10 scored items with their point values, from pain and limp through to stairs, shoes, and socks. It also carries the four deformity checks, the range of motion scale, and space for patient details, the total, and the grade.
Download templateThe Harris Hip Score (HHS) is a 100-point, clinician-administered measure of hip function after total hip arthroplasty and other hip procedures.
William H. Harris published it in 1969, and it has stayed in routine use across orthopedic surgery and physical therapy ever since. Ten scored items cover pain, function, deformity, and range of motion.
This guide covers the point breakdown, the grade bands, when to administer the form, and how digital intake forms store each score.
What is the Harris Hip Score?
The Harris Hip Score rates hip function on a 100-point scale, where a higher total means less pain and better movement.
It covers four domains: pain, functional activities, absence of deformity, and range of motion. The 10 scored items split into gait measures, such as limp and walking aids, and daily activities, such as stairs and sitting.
Surgeons and physical therapists use it to set a pre-operative baseline, follow recovery, and judge how well an implant has held up. It is listed in APTA’s test-measures resource alongside other standard hip outcome measures.
The four domains and how points are allocated
The score splits across four weighted domains, each with a fixed allocation on the 100-point scale.
Pain and function carry 91 of the 100 points between them. That weighting matches what hip replacement is meant to deliver, which is less pain and independent movement.
Small gains in walking or comfort therefore move the total more than a few extra degrees of rotation. That matters when you compare results across follow-up appointments.
How to interpret the score
Totals fall into four grades, running from excellent at 90 points and above down to poor below 70.
The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the Harris Hip Score is 15.9-18 points. A study of hip replacement patients puts the threshold in that range.
The threshold separates recovery from measurement variation, which matters when you are measuring patient satisfaction across a course of rehabilitation.
Harris Hip Score vs modified Harris Hip Score
The modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS) drops range of motion and deformity, which leaves a 91-point version the patient fills in.
The original stays clinician-administered and needs a goniometer for the motion items. The modified version is a patient-reported outcome measure with published reliability evidence.
Use the original for in-person assessments where motion and deformity are measured directly, and for research that needs an objective examination.
Use the modified version for large cohorts, routine tracking, and telehealth reviews where nobody can measure the hip in person.
Both show strong inter-rater reliability, with intraclass correlation values above 0.85. Either fits integrated patient care workflows, provided you stay on one version over time.
Reliability and validity evidence
The Harris Hip Score has psychometric evidence behind it in both surgical and rehabilitation settings.
- Test-retest reliability: intraclass correlation values above 0.85 show consistent results between raters and across repeat administrations.
- Internal consistency: the four domains correlate well, which supports reading the total as a single measure of hip function.
- Responsiveness: the score picks up meaningful change, and it moves most in the first two years after surgery.
- Validity: totals track patient-reported pain, activity level, and satisfaction in published arthroplasty cohorts.
It has been in use for more than 50 years, which is why most hip implant studies still report it.
When to administer it in the care pathway
The form earns its keep at a handful of fixed points along the hip replacement pathway.
- Pre-operative baseline: record the score one to two weeks before surgery so improvement can be measured against it. Practices billing CPT code 27130 can file that baseline with the case.
- Early review at 6 to 12 weeks: check the pain response and early function to guide therapy intensity and discharge planning.
- Intermediate follow-up at 3 to 6 months: track the recovery curve and pick up patients who need more rehabilitation.
- Long-term follow-up at 1 to 2 years: record the final outcome, since function usually plateaus between 12 and 24 months.
- Annual review: for sports medicine and physical therapy practices, a yearly score evidences sustained gains and flags late complications.
Pair it with automated clinical documentation so the clinician enters each answer once. The system totals the score and files it on the patient timeline for comparison.
How Pabau keeps hip outcome scores in one record
Most practices still run the Harris Hip Score on paper. The sheet is scored by hand, scanned, and filed, so comparing two visits means opening two documents.
Practice management software like Pabau turns the form into a scored digital template. Point values are built in, the total and grade calculate themselves, and the result lands in the patient record.
Patients can complete their half through the patient portal before they arrive. The clinician is then left with only the motion and deformity items to record.
Every score is timestamped, so you can pull a trend for one patient or for a whole cohort. That gives you outcome evidence for audit without keeping a second spreadsheet.
Score hip outcomes without the paperwork
Pabau builds the Harris Hip Score into your intake forms, totals it automatically, and files every result in the patient record. You see each patient's trend in one view.
Conclusion
Pick one version of the score and stay with it. A baseline taken on the original and a follow-up taken on the modified version cannot be compared.
The other number worth holding onto is the 15.9 to 18 point threshold. Below it, a difference between two visits is more likely to be measurement variation than recovery.
Paper sheets make that comparison harder than it needs to be, because nobody wants to dig out last year’s scan. Moving the form into practice management software puts both numbers on one screen. Book a demo to see how Pabau captures and tracks hip outcome scores.
Continue your research
Assessing another joint? Crossed straight leg raise walks through a lumbar screening test with the same scoring and documentation discipline.
Working through upper-limb complaints? Wright test explains how to perform and record a thoracic outlet assessment.
Need another printable assessment form? Snapping scapula syndrome test gives you a ready-made shoulder examination template.
Planning the rehabilitation stage? Return to running protocol sets out the milestones that follow a strong hip score.
Losing follow-up appointments? Patient no-show rate covers the reminder tactics that keep outcome reviews in the diary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Harris Hip Score used for?
It measures hip pain, function, deformity, and range of motion after total hip arthroplasty and other hip procedures. Practices use it to set a pre-operative baseline, track recovery, and judge long-term surgical success.
What counts as a good score?
A total of 90 to 100 is excellent, 80 to 89 is good, 70 to 79 is fair, and anything below 70 is poor. Most patients reach 80 or above by 12 to 24 months after a successful hip replacement. A gain of 15.9 to 18 points is the minimal clinically important difference.
Which four domains does it measure?
Pain carries 44 points, function 47, deformity 4, and range of motion 5, for a maximum of 100. Pain and function together account for 91 points, which reflects the priorities of hip surgery.
How does it differ from the modified version?
The original is clinician-administered, includes deformity and range of motion, and scores out of 100. The modified version removes those two domains, is completed by the patient, and scores out of 91. Both show intraclass correlation values above 0.85.
How is the total calculated?
Score each of the 10 items, then add the domain totals. Pain is worth up to 44 points, function up to 47, deformity 4, and range of motion 5. Digital forms total it automatically, while manual scoring needs care with the point values.
What is the MCID for the Harris Hip Score?
The minimal clinically important difference is 15.9 to 18 points. A change smaller than that is more likely to reflect measurement variation than a genuine improvement in hip function.
Is there an online calculator?
Yes. Several free online calculators exist, and practice management software like Pabau can total the score inside the patient record. Automatic scoring removes arithmetic errors and applies the grade bands consistently.
