Functional outcomes after hip fracture

The ability to achieve independent ambulation after hip fracture, orthopedic stabilization, and subsequent rehabilitation was studied in 65 inpatients in a specialized geriatric rehabilitation center. The association of 10 factors with the ability to achieve independent ambulation was measured by Kendall's tau B analysis and a two-tailed t test. The 10 factors were sex, age, surgical technique, side of fracture, site of fracture, presence of previous fracture, presence of lower extremity contractures, strength of hip abductor muscles, number of visits to physical therapy, and number of days from surgery to discharge from physical therapy. Measurements were taken at discharge from physical therapy, at 60 days after surgery, and one year after surgery. Fifty-four (83%) of the 65 patients reached independent ambulation at some time between the date of surgery and one year later. At one year after surgery, only 4 of the 65 patients had died. The variables of age, lower extremity contractures, strength of the affected hip abductor muscles, type of surgical technique, number of visits to physical therapy, and number of days from surgery to discharge were associated with independence in ambulation.