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Frailty Screening in Elderly Patients With Hip Fractures: Predicting Poor Outcomes and Optimizing Clinical Management
Panagiotis Poulios1, Soma Kar2, Arijit Mallick3
1Orthopaedics and Trauma, Royal Free Hospital, London, GBR.
Cureus
|August 18, 2025
Summary
Frailty is common in older adults with hip fractures, significantly increasing postoperative complications, mortality, and hospital stay. Early frailty assessment is crucial for better patient outcomes and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Hip fragility fractures disproportionately affect older adults.
- Frailty is an emerging concern in geriatric care, impacting recovery and outcomes.
- Understanding frailty's prevalence and impact is vital for optimizing care pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of frailty in older adults experiencing hip fragility fractures.
- To investigate the correlation between frailty severity and key clinical outcomes.
- To assess frailty's association with postoperative complications, mortality, and hospitalization duration.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study at a university-affiliated hospital.
- Included 99 patients aged over 65 treated for hip fragility fractures.
- Frailty assessed using the frail-to-fit index and Glegg's criteria; analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods.
Main Results:
- 61% of patients were classified as frail.
- 37.4% experienced postoperative complications; 11.1% mortality.
- Higher frailty scores correlated with increased complications, mortality, and longer hospital stays.
Conclusions:
- Frailty is highly prevalent in older adults with hip fragility fractures.
- Frailty is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes, including complications, mortality, and prolonged hospitalization.
- Routine frailty assessment is essential for personalized care planning and prognosis in this patient population.
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