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Neuromuscular stimulation of the quadriceps muscle after hip fracture: a randomized controlled trial
Sarah E Lamb1, Jacqueline A Oldham, Rhian E Morse
1Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Health, Coventry University, UK. s.lamb@coventry.ac.uk
Objective:
To study the feasibility and effect of neuromuscular stimulation on recovery of mobility after surgical fixation for hip fracture.
Design:
Double-blind study with stratified randomization.
Setting:
Home-based rehabilitation program.
Participants:
Twenty-four women over the age of 75 years with hip fracture.
Interventions:
Neuromuscular or placebo stimulation of the quadriceps muscle of the fractured leg, applied for 3 hours a day, for 6 weeks, commencing 1 week after surgery.
Main Outcome Measures:
Recovery of walking speed and ability, postural stability, lower-limb muscle power, and pain at 7 and 13 weeks after surgery.
Results:
Women in the neuromuscular stimulation group showed faster recovery of mobility. Of the women receiving stimulation, 9 of 12 recovered their prior levels of indoor mobility ability by 13 weeks compared with 3 of 12 in the placebo group (Fisher exact test, P=.046). There were no differences in recovery of walking speed in the first 7 weeks, but women in the stimulation group had greater recovery between 7 and 13 weeks (mean difference=-.13m/s; 95% confidence interval, -.23 to -.01).
Conclusions:
Neuromuscular stimulation at home is feasible and may be effective in speeding recovery of mobility after surgical fixation of hip fracture.
