Long-term follow-up of hip fractures

Hip fractures on 117 patients treated surgically and followed up for an average of 10.2 months are reviewed. Among the parameters analyzed were complications, mortality, clinical follow-up by the operating surgeon, and the ability to ambulate after surgery. Postoperative surgical complications occurred in 36% and medical complications in 18% of the patients. Mortality was 25% within the first year after surgery. Sixty-one percent of the patients returned at least once to the surgeon's office for follow-up; only 38% were followed for more than six months. In the surviving patients who were good ambulators before hip fracture, 60% to 70% became good ambulators postoperatively. Only 20% to 30% of the surviving patients who were poor ambulators preoperatively ever walked again.