Ambulation outcomes after hip fracture

Ability to achieve prefracture ambulation status after hip fracture and subsequent rehabilitation was studied in 70 inpatients in a geriatric rehabilitation center. The association of 11 factors with the ability to achieve prefracture ambulation status was measured by chi-square analysis. The 11 factors were age, sex, number of visits to physical therapy, presence of pain in the affected extremity, leg-length difference of 0.5 in or more, side of fracture, motivation, orientation, alertness, previous leg fracture, and surgical repair with a prosthetic replacement or fracture pinning. Forty percent of the entire group returned to their prefracture level of ambulation by the time of discharge from physical therapy. Of the 11 variables studied, only previous leg fracture and the number of visits to physical therapy showed a significant association with the patient's ability to reach prefracture ambulation status.