How predictable is rehabilitation after hip fracture? A prospective study of 134 patients.

In a prospective study of 134 consecutive patients treated for hip fracture, rehabilitation was influenced by sociomedical factors, but not by fracture type or treatment. Success of rehabilitation was to a large extent predictable using mental and general health status. Discharge of the patients to their prefracture residence was accurately predicted in 80/89 of successful and 11/28 of failed rehabilitations. Four months after the fracture, 86/92 successful and 11/17 failed rehabilitations were predicted. More accurate prediction of rehabilitation is limited by the complexity of the rehabilitation process.