Fractured hip mending with threads of light.

Hip Score Showdown: Which Tool Best Tracks Recovery After a Fracture?

Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A new study puts two popular hip scoring systems to the test, revealing surprising insights for doctors and patients navigating recovery from acetabular fractures."

Recovering from a hip fracture can feel like navigating uncharted territory. You're eager to get back on your feet, but how do you measure progress and know if you're truly improving? Doctors rely on scoring systems like the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) to track your recovery. These scores assess pain levels, walking ability, range of motion, and overall hip function. But are these tools equally reliable, especially in the critical early months after surgery?

Acetabular fractures, while not the most common type of break, often result from high-impact events like car accidents or falls. These fractures disrupt the hip socket, impacting stability and movement. Successfully fixing these fractures is just the first step. Monitoring your functional recovery – how well you can move, walk, and perform daily activities – is crucial for a successful outcome.

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma dives deep into the performance of these two scoring systems. Researchers compared mMAPS and HHS scores collected from patients in the first nine months after acetabular fracture fixation, aiming to understand their correlation and agreement. The findings offer valuable insights for both doctors and patients striving for optimal hip function after a fracture.

mMAPS vs. HHS: Unpacking the Hip Score Systems

Fractured hip mending with threads of light.

Before we dive into the study's findings, let's break down what these scoring systems actually measure. Both the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) aim to quantify your hip's functionality, but they do so with slightly different approaches.

The Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel Score (mMAPS) assesses three key areas:

Pain: How much pain are you experiencing? Is it constant, intermittent, or only present with activity?
Walking/Ambulation: Can you walk normally, or do you need a cane, crutches, or other support?
Range of Motion: How far can you move your hip in different directions?

Each category is scored, and the total score provides an overall picture of your hip function. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) expands on these categories slightly, adding an assessment of deformity. It considers:

The Simpler Score May Suffice

If you're recovering from an acetabular fracture, understanding how your progress is being measured can empower you to actively participate in your care. While both mMAPS and HHS provide valuable insights, this study suggests the simpler mMAPS score may be sufficient for routine monitoring. Talk to your doctor about which scoring system they use and how the results inform your treatment plan. By working together, you can optimize your recovery and get back to doing the things you love.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.jcot.2017.08.018, Alternate LINK

Title: Comparison And Agreement Of Outcome Scores Through Nine Months After Acetabular Fracture Fixation

Subject: Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Journal: Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: José Luis Ramirez-Garcialuna, Fernando Dominguez-Paulin, Jesús Ramirez-Martinez, Luis Fernando Sanmiguel-Delgadillo

Published: 2018-04-01

Everything You Need To Know

What are the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS), and why are they used?

The Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) are both scoring systems used to quantify hip functionality, particularly after events like acetabular fractures. The mMAPS assesses pain, walking ability/ambulation, and range of motion. Each category is scored to provide an overall picture of hip function. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) expands on these categories, adding an assessment of deformity. While both scores evaluate hip function, the mMAPS is simpler, potentially making it sufficient for routine monitoring. These scores are significant because they provide a standardized way to track a patient's recovery progress, informing treatment plans and helping patients understand their improvement over time.

Why is monitoring functional recovery so important after an acetabular fracture?

Acetabular fractures are breaks in the hip socket, often resulting from high-impact events. Successfully fixing these fractures is only the initial step. Monitoring functional recovery—how well a person can move, walk, and perform daily activities—is crucial for a successful outcome. This is significant because acetabular fractures disrupt hip stability and movement, impacting a patient's ability to perform everyday tasks. Without proper monitoring using systems like the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) or the Harris Hip Score (HHS), it's difficult to objectively assess recovery and adjust treatment plans accordingly.

Why is the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) considered simpler than the Harris Hip Score (HHS)? What are the implications of this difference?

The Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) is considered simpler because it focuses on three key areas: pain, walking/ambulation, and range of motion. In contrast, the Harris Hip Score (HHS) expands on these categories by adding an assessment of deformity. The implication is that while both scores provide valuable insights, the mMAPS may be sufficient for routine monitoring due to its straightforward approach. Doctors might prefer mMAPS for its ease of use, while the HHS might be reserved for more complex cases where deformity is a significant factor.

What factors does the Harris Hip Score (HHS) assess, and why is this comprehensive assessment important?

The Harris Hip Score (HHS) assesses several factors including pain, walking ability, range of motion, and deformity. This comprehensive approach allows healthcare providers to gain a detailed understanding of a patient's hip function. This is important because the Harris Hip Score (HHS) is able to provide a comprehensive view of recovery and functional improvement.

How can understanding hip scoring systems like Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) help me in my recovery after a hip fracture?

Both the Modified Merle d'Aubigne-Postel (mMAPS) and the Harris Hip Score (HHS) aim to quantify your hip's functionality using slightly different approaches. The study findings suggest that the simpler mMAPS score may be sufficient for routine monitoring. It’s important to discuss with your doctor which scoring system they use and how the results inform your treatment plan. Actively participating in these discussions can empower you to optimize your recovery and get back to doing the things you love.